The Dark and Misunderstood
by kylekatarn77
Summary: What if the balance was not as it seemed? What if the darkness was not truly wicked? And what if the light…wasn't as pure as we think? Prepare to see how high darkness can fly...and how far the light can fall. Deep stuff! Major NaruHina, some others too
1. A word to define it

What if the balance was not as it seemed? What if the darkness was not truly wicked? And what if the light…wasn't as pure as we think?

(I don't own Naruto or Kingdom Hearts…damn! All that money… P)

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written by Kylekatarn77

**Chapter One**

A Word to Define It

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It was a dark night…

Within the village hidden in the leaves, all was quiet. There was no wind blowing through the leaves or across rooftop. Barely a whisper of a sound. All are asleep.

Well, except for one...

Uzumaki Naruto, who can be seen running from a small mob of people, shinobi and civilian, brandishing everything from small knives all the way up to a long katana.

"Let's kill him now! Then the Kyuubi will never arise again!" The Jounin shouted this war cry, and the mob roared in delight. "We've let him live too long!"

The boy in question didn't seem to be loosing any energy, never seemed to tire. His body held such stamina. He kept running, in his raggedy pants, torn shirt and sandals. He looked malnourished and half dead already. He couldn't understand why they always did this. Why ever year they always hurt him, and hurt him the worst on today, his birthday. Why he was alone, shunned, abandoned, insulted, and called a demon.

Suddenly, he tripped over a kunai that had just barely missed his foot.

"Yes, yes, we've got him! We'll be honored as heroes!"

Naruto started to get up, and then realized they were all around him, his escape cut off. He looked up, teary eyed and hurt. He searched for an escape. They were in an alley and he was cornered. No one was around to hear this, or help...though no one ever wanted to.

"W-why are you doing this?"

The Jounin looked down at the boy before him. His eyes were filled with malice, and an almost mad delight. "You're a monster and nothing but trouble! You killed my wife and I'll never forgive!"

Naruto gazed at the man desperately from a sitting position, one arm held up in defense. "But I haven't ever tried to hurt anyone, much less kill them!"

"Shut your mouth, you mangy beast!" The Jounin, Rokuza, swung down, burying the blade an inch into the arm before whipping it back out, blood dripping.

"Ahh!" he cried out, praying someone would help him, the blood flowing slowly. Naruto could see this move had incited the dozen others with the ninja. This was more serious than before. These weren't random drunks: these men were sober and meant to kill him. His only hope were the ANBU, who were nowhere in sight.

"Aw, are you in pain?" His tone was mocking, as if he couldn't believe he was talking to the monster before him. It was trying to put on such a convincing act. "Too bad. This is what you get for causing pain to all of us!"

"P-please...stop..." Naruto stared pleadingly at the crowd, who now looked even more bloodthirsty then before.

They raised their weapons simultaneously. Finally, this boy would be dead. "Die, Kyuubi!"

Naruto looked up in horror, eyes wide, gripping his wounded arm, as he cried out one last thing…

"But I'm not Kyuubi!"

Rokuza lowered his sword into the boy's shoulder and he cried out in pain. Blood gushed from the wound violently. Others jabbed kunai knives in various places of his body. His clothing began to stain with the red ooze. They grinned evilly, watching the demon boy suffer. Naruto screamed in pain, feeling the wounds grow in number and depth. He saw the world slowly grow dark as pain over took him, his last conscious sight the glee in their eyes as life left his…

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Deep in a darkened area, the only light emanated from a being that was trapped. It was old. For countless millennia it had lived. Through battles between heaven and hell, the stone age, dinosaurs, humans, aliens, nuclear holocausts, tiberium wars, and countless other threats to the world. And through each it had lived out its existence. Always the being had survived, always kept its rightful place on top, one way or the other.

Which only made this all the more absurd! After a lifetime that was eons in the making, it would be undone. And by thirteen humans, who could kill it while the prisoner could do naught but watch! The being raged. It couldn't stand for this! It wouldn't stand for this! It could feel the pain of every jab these villagers were giving to its container. If this kept up...his container would die. If the vessel died, it would die! It refused to just sit here and take that. But how to save itself?

The being went over its prison again, looking for some escape. In desperation it scanned the seal furiously, even channeled chakra into it…and then there it was. So simple, and yet the most brilliant mind in existence, trillions of years old, that had more stored knowledge then a hundred million generations of life all thrust together, had taken eight years to find it. Oh well, no one would ever know...or live to talk of it anyway. The being called upon the boy's mind so it could speak to him, pulled him deep within the recess of his sub-conscious.

At last it would escape its prison.

At last, it would be **FREE**…

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Naruto felt himself, flying through a small hall...no, a sewer. Water dripped around him, yet there were cracks in the walls, as if they were slowly coming undone. He soon arrived in front of an immense cage, with a peace of paper with the kanji for seal on it... He fell to the ground, then noticed that all his wounds were gone "H-how...?"

"Boy, I'm not going to sit here and let you die!" The voice startled him, and it was practically a growl.

Naruto looked up, alarmed. He could see no one there, yet there had been a voice: a deep one...full of malice and wickedness...

"W-who's there?"

"Fool..." Such ignorance. A child yes, but still, this boy angered the prisoner to an extent never before. It made itself known to the boy behind the bars, manifesting itself in swirling chakra. Naruto backed up. At eight, many things are frightening, but this apparition was terrifying.

"I frighten you? Of course...you're nothing but a mere child...Can't even fend off a couple of weak assassins!"

Naruto looked on, scared stiff by the talking chakra. "W-who are you?"

The manifestation spoke bitterly, growling. "You don't realize it do you?"

"W-what?"

It growled again, its chakra claws digging into the cold concrete of the prison. "You've never seen why others call _you_ a demon, when it is really_ me_ who they are addressing, you idiot child! I, the nine-tailed fox! I, Kyuubi!" The cloud of chakra took form, glowing a blood red, and shaped eerily in the form on a large fox. Energy streams of chakra whipped around it in the fashion of angry tails.

Naruto looked up, confused. "B-but that's impossible. Kyuubi died. The fourth killed him." Naruto's face suddenly looked fearful at a realization "Then that means...when they killed me...I went to Hell!" His eyes darted across the room desperately. "Please, I never did anything wrong. I don't deserve hell!"

"Calm down brat. You aren't dead. I just saved your life as a matter of fact. You should be grateful, on your knees and bowing to me!"

"B-but how can I be alive when you're dead?"

"I am not, contrary to the popular belief." The beast snarled angrily, the lie of its defeat an ever-present insult it its pride. But soon, Kyuubi would fix that. "Those insolent humans, refusing to reveal my existence. They are foolish. They will one day die for it."

"W-what are you talking about?"

"You...are inside you're own mind, child. What you see before you is the cage in your body that wretched Hokage locked me in eight years ago!"

"Y-you mean..." Naruto froze, with a sudden horrified look of realization on his face. His body slumped, dread reading all over him, "Th-that he locked you inside of m-me?

"...I guess you're not as ignorant as I'd thought..."

"S-so that's why..." Tears slowly dripped from his eyes, out of sadness and terror. Every fiber of his being strove not to say it, to admit it was true…but he couldn't, "why they hate me, isn't it?

Kyuubi glared at him, nodding slowly. "Yes. Now stop this pathetic sobbing. Crying does you no good, boy." Naruto slowly stopped, then stood up looking around bleakly, wondering how things could get worse.

"So...what now? I'm about to die, which means you'll probably die with me..."

"Tch…I will not _allow_ you to die...not as long as I am in here, no. I will give you some of my chakra, Child. You may use it to destroy them, but them only." Naruto looked up surprised. Sure, he had never liked the treatment he got, and less so now that he knew the reason he was the target of their hate, an unjust target, but...

"What? I don't want to hurt them!"

Kyuubi stared, surprised. He had expected an immediate yes to the offer. How could any human refuse his power? "Why refuse your chance for revenge? They called you a demon, so be it! Be the demon they always treat you as! Stop hiding your pain inside you, keeping all your negative feelings trapped around your heart. Let in your sorrow...your pain...and then turn it all into rage! Anger and rage, they can make you strong. They can release your full potential. Then...and only then...will you show them you're a force to be reckoned with. They would finally leave you alone. They would fear you. You could terrify them. You could destroy them!" Kyuubi's chakra flared, showing the full force of his power.

Within this space, his own head, Naruto Uzumaki was the first being in existence, apart from God, to feel the full power of Kyuubi. The entire, full, 100 limit that the fox had reached in its lifetime upon the earth. Had it not been within his own mind, the force would have killed Naruto instantly. Naruto look up at the monster before him, awed at the power the demon offered. It was planet shattering, and in a literal sense. All his dreams could come true with this power. No one could ever hurt him again…

Yet, he just stood there, wondering if becoming like the fox was worth it, if vengeance would be worth giving up what would probably be his humanity...

Kyuubi realized it was pointless. The boy's spirit was hurt, and crushed…yet he could not bring himself to want to destroy the village. The fox realized it was time for plan B…though he had hoped for it anyway. Whether or not the boy accepted his offer, the end result would be the same.

"You cannot refuse...You cannot deny me life, and my rule…I have been trapped here too long…I won't take no for an answer...Naruto Uzumaki!" The red eyes on the beastly figure began to glow menacingly. The chakra that formed the beast slipped through the bars and circled the young boy. Naruto searched for escape, but it seemed there was none. He could feel the chakra envelope him, carrying Kyuubi's spirit.

Such power...and such bloodlust. "Please, this is more than enough. Stop!"

The fox creature grinned slyly, laughing maliciously. "Who says I care? I'll overload you to the point that the seal is finally broken! I'll be free...free once more...and then I will resume my rightful place as a total, supreme, undisputed power in this world!"

"Then, what… what'll happen to me?

"You…" He paused for a moment, and then sneered. "You will die." The chakra then entered him, attacking Naruto's mind.

Have you ever had that near death experience where your life flashes before your eyes? Naruto held his wide open, the harshest of memories piercing his skull. Villagers chasing him with weaponry, day in and day out, seemed to be the only things to remember, for he never recalled a time which brought him joy. Only pain and suffering...sorrow and depression. These were the only emotions he'd experienced in his life. And now...he was about to die...and he would never know happiness…

He could feel it. Naruto could feel every horrible moment, the pain from the fox's chakra, and he could hear nothing but Kyuubi's mad laugh. He could feel himself giving way, his heart flaring with pain, misery and suffering…

"_No…"_ he thought. It couldn't end like this. His life, his dream for Hokage…all gone. He saw the world fall away. He, Naruto Uzumaki, was about to be no more…

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Suddenly, a black mass started pouring out from Naruto's shadow, long and dark from the light of chakra. Even as Naruto lost consciousness, his last hope that death would be quick, the black matter enveloped him, pushing away Kyuubi's chakra, and growing deeper and more solid by the second around Naruto. The fox grew wide-eyed.

"What...what is this?" He pushed more chakra, but nothing happened. He grew panicked, realizing this stuff was ruining his attempt, what could be his last. In a burst of anger, Kyuubi unleashed all his force. Every particle of his energy focused on the strange matter surrounding the child…but it appeared even his full power, power that could wipe out an entire galaxy, could not pierce it. The chakra was rebounded back into the fox, who stared in wonder, curiosity, and awe. Nukes, lasers, humans, animals, the Scrin, demons, angels, Tiberium, meteors…nothing before, no matter how powerful, or skilled, or wise, or numerous, could stand in his path. He looked on…

Then, it shattered out, in a burst of power. It swept over Kyuubi, slowly destroying the demon's chakra, his heart, his soul. The black mass slowly climbed up over the demon's body. Whatever the stuff was, it simply was unaffected by the power it consumed, even though the fox was stronger, much stronger.

"This...cannot be!" The monster began to struggle within the stuff's grasp. "You're nothing but a child! How could you possibly do this?! I am the most powerful being in existence!" Even as he spoke, he could tell the mass acted on its own, pulsing out from within naruto, driving over more of the fox, wiping away its existence, eating at his core.

There would be no rebirth, no afterlife whether good or evil. This was it, after all it had gone through, and Kyuubi would actually…die. He could feel the power, and as it wiped the last of him away, the fox came to a realization as to what this substance was.

He didn't scream, didn't yell, and didn't howl. Kyuubi, the lord of demons, master of Hell, spoke one word, the only word he could think of to describe this power the boy radiated. His eyes opened wide as he uttered the answer. Then, the burning mass of demon chakra was fully covered with the black energy. It ate away, until it was no more. Kyuubi no Kitsune, the strongest, wisest, wickedest, most powerful being ever to exist… was gone. The only trace that he had ever existed was the seal on Naruto's stomach, which disappeared permanently, and the one spoken word of Kyuubi's, which echoed in Naruto's mind, till it died out, the voice never to be heard again.

"_Darkness_…"

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The darkness was driven. Driven by the boys hate, his pain, sadness, and suffering. Yet it could feel Naruto collapsing, going unconscious. Soon, his hate would be gone, and then the darkness would run on whatever the boy fed into it. And the heart was at the moment usually kinder. The darkness didn't care. It only cared that at the moment, it was fueled by anger and hate. Whatever came later would come, but the darkness had orders to follow at the moment. With one last act, the darkness stretched out from Naruto, seeking a way out, to do its current job for the heart that had spawned it.

To hurt those who had caused Naruto pain…

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"Hoy...the demon's waking up... it isn't dead after all!" The villagers held their weapons up again, prepared to strike the demon down. It was hurt, weak, near death, and they had a battle-hardened jounin leading them. They were prepared for anything...but not this.

Naruto's body was not awake...yet it trembled, as the darkness sought a way out. It finally did, through the boy's hands, and slowly built itself up over the boy's body, hanging in midair.

"Hm...? What's this?" Rokuza held his sword, and examined the dark energy curiously. The boy's eyes snapped open, their color changed. They'd become a bright glowing yellow.

"So Kyuubi's deciding to show some power, eh? Bring it on, little demon-boy!" The mob roared in agreement with his statement.

But this power wasn't Kyuubi's.

Darkness suddenly poured from the dark mass. Lashing out like tentacles, it snagged Rokuza. His katana fell to the ground with a clang. He wanted to scream in fear, but nothing seemed to come out. No one came to his rescue, but merely stared at him terrorized.

"B-Boy! Ha-have…mercy! We'll do…anything you want! Anything!" The once strong willed man was pleading for his life at the mercy of a child. He felt the energy field get tighter on his body. He couldn't breath. He jerked his body around in desperate attempts to escape. But there was none. He couldn't even scream as the stuff consumed him, till there was nothing left, not a trace.

The darkness above Naruto then lashed out again, doing the same to all those around it. They tried to run, but were caught before they could scream as the darkness obliterated them as well. When all was done, it receded back into him, leaving him on the ground with his captors gone. His eyes closed.

Some hours later, a worried Sarutobi came upon Naruto with three trusting ANBU, and all wondered what happened to Naruto. Reports had claimed Naruto was pursued by a small mob, headed by a high Jounin… yet, Naruto was alive, merely unconscious, and there was no sign of anyone around. His clothes were bloodied up from a battle, no doubt, but all that remained were scars. Sarutobi picked Naruto up, and slowly left, wondering about the night's events.

It was a dark night...

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_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: Hey, Kyuubi's gone. Really gone. I'm free! But, what's this black stuff where he used to be?_

_Darkness: …_

_Naruto: What are you? Are you going to hurt me too?_

_Darkness: …_

_Naruto: No...I can feel it…you're part of me, aren't you? And you want to help me._

_Naruto: But…do I really want you in me?_

_Next Time: __**Crossroads of Destiny! Accept the Darkness Naruto!**_

Thanks. Give me your reviews, as I like hearing good n bad things from an audience. Know that the main pairing will be Naru/Hina. Sorry, I just like it. If I get a lotta complaints about it, which I hope you guys won't do, I'll explain why. There will be no characters crossovers, but this is a KH/KHII crossover in that I will include Darkness, Heartless, and the keyblade…and maybe Nothingness and Nobodies as well…

If anyone noticed, or guessed it, I'm adding Naruto's name to the end of the preview title for the next "episode", like Gundam: Seed does. I just find it cool, that's all.

This story was created while I was having an IM chat with Kamikon Wolf. She had some crossover ideas with KH and naruto which she asked me about. (When she types them up, or updates her current stories, please read, as they are of great quality.) This idea occurred to me while discussing my opinion on the true nature of darkness and light, which I will post at some point. In an act of help, she did an rp with me, in which I was Naruto and she did Kyuubi and the villagers. (Though Rokuza was my creation.) I then took that and wrote this. May all who ever enjoy this future story know that while I will try to type this out on my own, to show I can make my own story (coughs), let it be known that Kamikon Wolf is a parent of this story and shares half the full credit for its inspirations, first chapter, and conception. She was very helpful with the whole thing. Kind of like a sister, except she doesn't try to embarrass me or steal my car. Though…where I live I can't own a car yet…Lol. Well, I have horrible homework, and a life, but I promise no more than two weeks if nothing goes wrong before this is updated.

Thanks.

Ja ne!


	2. Crossroads of destiny

(Well, I got it out before 2 weeks were up. So far, so good eh? Hopefully I get more reviews from you guys, everything that I have gotten so far has been very encouraging, and shows me my time making this isn't wasted. Almost too bad, I had this weird idea for Naruto involving blood and Janemba…oh well. Hope you enjoy!)

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written by Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Two**

Crossroads of Destiny! Accept the Darkness Naruto!

He sighed. That was all he could do. As Konoha's head interrogation specialist, a so-called sadist, Ibiki Morino was prone to sigh when a good opportunity to put his skills to use passed by. Ever since the end of the war with Hidden Rock village, he'd had no new subjects for his methods. It almost made him pine for the good old days of war with Iwagakure. Ah, those were the days when he could spend a few days underground having 'fun' with a few captured rock nin. Whips, chains, boiling oil, fire, brass knuckles, Anko…the worst was when Ibiki locked an elite jounin in a room for a few minutes with Gai…the man was still locked up in Konoha's mental institution, screaming something about the 'flames of youth' and eating his own feces.

He chuckled at the memory. It was breaking people to that point that made Ibiki's job fun. The main factor though, was breaking people who deserved it. Torturing an innocent soul was wrong in his mind…that, and they didn't scream as much. Which was why, after hearing Naruto Uzumaki had been brought into Konoha's hospital, Ibiki had kept calm in demeanor, while inside he was jumping around like a kid on Christmas morning. Ibiki was one of the few who wasn't retarded enough to actually believe Naruto was a reincarnated Demon set on killing them all. Just like the Hokage. This meant the few rare times anyone got the balls to mount a serious attempt on the boy's life, Ibiki was given the attempted murderers. It was one of his high points these days.

Ibiki shouldn't have even been here, looking down at Naruto lying on a small hospital bed, grateful that someone up there really liked the kid. Not that he didn't care about Naruto. Far from it. He simply wanted to be down in his private workplace, torturing and beating the living fuck out of the fools who had caused the kid so much pain.

So why was he here and not pouring hot tar on some guy's bare chest? Simple. They couldn't find anyone to blame. Oh, they had existed. Eyewitness accounts from multiple sources proved Naruto had been chased through the village's streets by a mixed group of villagers and shinobi, with at least one jounin in their midst. But the Old Man had only found Naruto, out cold in an alley, and surprisingly uninjured. Even more surprising was that the group had vanished. No traces at all. Already thirteen missing person reports had gone out, but nothing had turned up. Ibiki sighed again, and then turned to walk away, hoping to find Anko to go get a drink. The whole thing was just too weird for him.

It was as if they had all just vanished into nothingness, but that was ridiculous…

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The Sandaime Hokage looked out of his window overlooking Hidden Leaf Village. He remembered a time long past, when he could look out over his village like this to escape stress caused by problems like war, economy, or Orochimaru's strange behavior. Before the sannin's treachery, before Kyuubi, before all this. He could look out at all of his people, his "children", and feel at peace.

Sadly, now when he looked out, he could only taste bitterness in his mouth and his thoughts didn't change, or worse, ended up more troubled then before. Sarutobi couldn't look out on Konoha without being reminded about something important, something he was reminded of every day.

His failure.

Even before the sealing, Sarutobi knew that Minato was overestimating the village in how they would react to Naruto. They would never see the child of a great and virtuous man who sacrificed himself for all, never see the son of a loving mother and skilled ninja, who died in childbirth. They would never see a child with a great burden forced upon his soul.

Only Kyuubi. Only a demon.

Sarutobi had expected this. He had prepared in the hours after had told of his last attempt plan. He would approach the council, and then the village. The council he would convince not to have Naruto killed, and the village would be forced to never speak of it. The death penalty was an amazing force at keeping people silent. Naruto could lead a normal life, and have friends his own age. He wouldn't fall into that trap Yondaime had.

Oh, what a fool he was! Age had made a mockery of the Sandaime Hokage. The council hadn't ordered Naruto's death, yes, but under their supervision he was forbidden from entering almost every shop in Konoha, and those that did overcharged heavily. They had forced him into a cruel, uncaring orphanage. Even after the Hokage had got Naruto his own apartment, the council had gotten the villages banking system to "forgot" to send him the stipend that all orphans living on their own received.

And the villagers…their methods were just as cruel. They simply forced their children away from Naruto. He was "that rotten kid, not worth playing with. He's a loser, just ignore him." They had cut Naruto off from almost any human contact. And those eyes…he had seen the cold glares people gave Naruto, sometimes even from children his age. How Naruto had stayed sane this long was beyond even the legendary "school master's" knowledge.

And his own helplessness was what hurt the most. Oh, he could bring all this up. He could fight the council on their practices, and reprimand the villagers. He could repent for his unintentional sins…but then, he would have to bring up Kyuubi, which by his own law, made for Naruto's sake, was illegal. Irony truly was a bitch.

It hurt every time he looked upon the picture of Minato in his office. He had failed a good friend.

But more then that…he had failed Naruto.

Sarutobi turned away from his village, as if wishing to hide from his children the tears slowly falling to the floor.

"Naruto…please forgive me.

For last night.

For everything…"

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A week. A month. A hundred years. For all he knew, any of these amounts of time could have passed before he woke up. But finally, Naruto Uzumaki could feel himself return to consciousness, his eyes still closed. Naruto couldn't bear to look at purgatory, or hell, or wherever he had been sent. To see it would be to recognize he was dead, and that his life, and everything he had struggled through and put up with had all been for nothing.

"I don't want to…but I have to open my eyes eventually don't I?" It was a horrible thing to hear, an eight year old giving up on life so easily, with such a flat voice. "Fine, I'm done then. Old Man…I'm sorry, but I'm tired. I can't go this alone anymore." Then, expecting to start the rest of his afterlife, Naruto opened his eyes.

And saw a site he didn't anticipate. Kyuubi's cage was still before him. The only difference was the cage was now much smaller, and as it shifted suddenly Naruto could see it was still shrinking, as if slowly erasing itself from existence. The seal was gone…but more importantly, Kyuubi was too. Naurto glanced around, but couldn't feel the demon's chakra anywhere. Ok…weird.

"Hello?" His voice echoed for a few seconds, then died softly. Naruto ran over, and peered inside. The cage grew smaller suddenly, and then started wavering, then shifting, then all of a sudden it faded away, as if it was never there. His mind now held no traces of Kyuubi, except in his memories. Naruto looked around for a few minutes, before coming to a conclusion.

He didn't want to jinx it, but it seemed Naruto, somehow was…alive.

"YAHOO!" Naruto started jumping up and down like a maniac. Silly and childish? Yes. But, considering he's eight, and just survived one the most traumatic experiences any person can go through, we'll cut him a lot of slack. It was then, during this sugar rush imitation of joy, that Naruto stopped to ask out loud an important question.

"What happened to Kyuubi…and why am I still here?" It was then, as Naruto stood in his seemingly lonely subconscious, that Naruto felt something. Almost like…a shadow of himself. He turned, and almost cried out in terror. Before Naruto was a large black ball, shifting and warping and turning in midair. He'd never seen anything like it.

"Hello...Can you hear me?" No response. The black manifestation just hung there. Naruto started walking closer, figuring he could at least look up close.

As he got within a few feet, Naruto froze out of fear for two reasons. The ball looked like it had no center. Like a black pit that had no bottom. But what was more terrifying was that at this distance, Naruto could feel power radiating of the ball. Not as strong as Kyuubi's, but more concentrated. And it definitely wasn't chakra.

"What…what are you?" Naruto reached out a tentative hand…paused…then touched a tendril of the dark matter.

He suddenly started panting. In this instant of connection, Naruto had seen his life flash before his eyes. Literally. Every good or bad event (mostly bad obviously) played back in high detail. But what was most interesting was at the end, when he saw the dark matter overtake Kyuubi, and heard the Demon speak that final word.

"Darkness…?" Naruto looked up. "Is that what you are?" The darkness spun once in Naruto's direction, as if to signify a nodding head. "Well ok…thank you for getting rid of Kyuubi and all, but…where did you come from?"

The darkness held for a minute, and then a tendril made that momentary contact again. He saw his life flash again, but this time he noticed something. Every time he was teased, insulted, beaten, attacked, shunned…each time, a small bit of darkness had appeared in his chest, then absorbed itself into the area it had come from. An area that looked like…like…

"My heart? But that means...you're my darkness, aren't you?" That spin-nod again. Naruto collapsed back, shocked. Every time he had resisted the urge to retaliate, to insult back, to fight back, this stuff, this…darkness had appeared in his heart. "Am… am I that evil?"

At this, the darkness replayed the attack it had made on the attempted assassins. Naruto saw the darkness strike them in what seemed to be anger…but then Naruto noticed while this had been going on, his heart had been filled with hopelessness and despair caused by the demon. When the attack was done, his heart was calm while he was blissfully unconscious…and the darkness was calm too. "You…you do what my heart wants, don't you? Just like how my heart made you, it controls you." Naruto almost swore he head a whispered yes in response.

It made sense. Naruto had always felt shunned from everything good: love, family, acceptance. He had felt shunned from the light, and as a result, his heart had produced darkness, as a way to act on and solve his depression. But Naruto's heart, pure despite this ability, could not bring itself to use this darkness as a weapon. So it had stored it, over the years, till it had become what it was today.

For an instant, Naruto was elevated. This power, it was his. No one else's. And he had year's worth of it, with more to come if the village kept acting as it did. He could do great things with it. If it could destroy Kyuubi while he was unconscious, Naruto could do wonders awake. He could prove himself to the village! He could-

The village. Naruto paled. He remembered how they reacted at him possibly being a demon. Finding out his heart could produce pure darkness? They'd hang him without pausing to laugh or insult him. They considered him a threat they could barely tolerate as a demon, a creature of darkness. But containing actual darkness? No, he had to get rid of it.

"Out!" He cried. "You heard me, get out! If you don't, they could kill me! Get out!" But it didn't move. The darkness just hung there, unaffected by his words. "Raaaahhh! Get out of here! Just go away!" Naruto swung his fists at the darkness, trying to force it out. But his hands just passed through it.

"Why won't you leave?!" Naruto fell to his knees, his voice lowering to a whisper.

"Everyone else has…" Never before had Naruto's heart ever felt more lonely and sad. He felt tears, but he wouldn't cry. He didn't in front of the village, an attempt to show they weren't getting to him, even though they did every day. He couldn't cry, he couldn't, he wouldn't…

He looked up. The darkness had moved to him. Naruto felt the whirlwind of his heart's emotions in that darkness. Yet somehow, though the darkness wasn't technically alive, Naruto felt something he had never felt in Konoha, from anyone but the Hokage. Something he didn't expect from something that technically wasn't alive.

He felt…acceptance.

"Y-you accept me?" He felt the darkness respond, again with that simple yes.

"Then…then I accept you." The black ball reached out thick tendrils, in a sense hugging Naruto to itself, Naruto's own heart comforting his soul. It became solid, and as Naruto was pulled against his own darkness, he felt his heart acting through that darkness, comforting him, and making up for a lifetime without love, acceptance, or care. As the darkness wrapped itself around Naruto, giving him love and peace he had never felt so much of before, Naruto Uzumaki did something he had never done in his entire life.

He let his mask down…and cried…

And on the outside, on his bed in the real world, Naruto's unconscious body now sported a small, but genuine smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: Alright! Finally for once, things are looking up. And now I can start using this darkness stuff to get stronger._

_Naruto: Whoa, darkness looks cool in the outside world…oh man. I can actually see hearts floating around now. __Weird._

_Naruto: Wait, what's the darkness doing to them?_

_?:…_

_Naruto: What…what the Hell are you guys?_

_Next Time: __**The Shadows Arise! Call Forth the Heartless Naruto!**_

Wow. My week had been a living hell; so again, I thought this would go past two weeks. Thankfully, some free time opened up and I busted it all out in one shot. Yay!

Anyway, keep the reviews coming. Even the flames. Good or bad, all reviews will be looked at with great consideration…then thrown into a small generator I use to power my own Kingdom Hearts. Woot! (JK. I don't own any of that. Aw…) Well, hope you guys are liking all this, next one will hopefully be good, and soon.

Ja Ne!


	3. The Shadows Arise

Ugh. Sorry it's been a while. I have just been having those long days and weeks lately. It's been crazy. But, I finally got this out. Now, some of you have been asking about the possible appearance of Organization Thirteen members. Sorry, but they simply won't be here. I want to try to avoid KH II characters if at all possible. However, if the last preview wasn't a clue, some anticipated guests will be appearing here. Well, hope you enjoy.

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written by Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Three**

The Shadows Arise! Call forth the Heartless Naruto!

Sarutobi was glad Naruto had made him smile right then, as he walked into the quiet hospital room. The sight of the boy was one that couldn't help but make him smile. The last few hours had just been one annoyance after another, and he was seriously considering hurting the first person to interrupt his peaceful mood.

At first it had been minor things. He had slept in past his alarm, and accidentally destroyed the clock trying to shut the damn thing off. His favorite restaurant had run out of bacon. (And if the Sarutobi clan loved anything after smoking, it was bacon.) And he had lost his crystal ball…only to find that somehow, it was on top of his head. And he hadn't taken his hat off all day. He couldn't explain it. Not even Naruto could pull that off.

But from there, it had gotten serious with his decision to visit Naruto again in the hospital. When he had entered the hospital, the receptionist had dared to call Naruto "that thing" in front of him. He had promptly taken her, and literally thrown her out of the hospital, telling her never to come back into the building. Then, when he had requested Naruto's charts, not only were they labeled Demon Child, but according to them Naruto had not received any treatment since his arrival. True, he had been found uninjured, but they hadn't even done a checkup to search for whatever might be wrong with him. There was no IV running any kind of medicine or liquefied food into his system-and Naruto needed that kind of nourishment, considering he was malnourished to a point that his ribs showed naturally. He'd probably been scrounging in trash, since he had received no reports of Naruto stealing food, or anything for that matter. Sarutobi still couldn't believe it had gotten this bad.

As he looked down on Naruto, he swore that somehow, someway, he would make up for all of this.

Yet, Sarutobi couldn't help but frown slightly. Something seemed…different about Naruto. He was still the same height. He was still underfed, something the old man hoped to remedy soon. His clothes were torn, dirty, and ragged, as if they were the only things the boys wore. They probably were. The previous night, just before Naruto was found Naruto was found, Sarutobi had discovered that the boy hadn't been in the orphanage like he'd thought. He had been kicked out over a year ago. How Naruto had survived this long, alone on the streets with no sure source of food and a hateful populace everywhere, was beyond the Hokage's knowledge.

_I let it get this bad…Naruto; I don't think you could ever forgive me for letting you suffer like this. Why didn't you tell me?_

He knew why, even as he asked the question in his own head. Naruto had that mask. That damn emotional mask. All that laughing, that damn smile all the time. None of it was really Naruto. It was just a cover, so the people of the village couldn't see how inside of Naruto, he was hurting deeply. And everyone actually believed it. From his observations, even seasoned jounin had been unable to realize it was a facade. The irony of the whole thing was, if everyone believed him to bee that happy and goofy naturally and not emotionally stricken and suffering, Naruto already had qualities for a shinobi in his deception abilities. The trick would be getting him into the academy. Well, he'd make it happen somehow.

Sarutobi sighed, and then glanced with a weak smile at naruto's sleeping form. His unruly blonde hair, the lids closed over his piercing blue eyes, his small smile, the way that-

_Wait, what? _Sarutobi looked again. Yes Naruto was smiling… but it wasn't his usual too-large cover-up smile. No this one was a small smile, one tinged with sadness...but happy. Truly, undoubtedly happy. Never in all his years had Sandaime ever seen a real smile on Naruto's face, and while he couldn't imagine what the boy could feel so happy and peaceful about, he didn't care. Naruto finally seemed happy, even if it was only momentary. The Hokage smiled in reaction, and looked down on the poor little demon-container. (AN: or so he thinks…)

_Yes, smile Naruto. You deserve it more than anyone else._

_(Break)_

When one is assaulted by emotion, they seem to lose track of time. Moments of great joy can seem to last scant minutes, or even hours. Yet while he somehow instinctively knew time was passing regularly on the outside, on the inside, in his own mind, Naruto had long ago lost track of how long he had been crying in the arms of his own darkness. It didn't matter. Always Naruto had held it in, not wanting to show how much he hurt. But here, in his own subconscious, Naruto let it all go and released 8 years of pain, suffering, and doubt. His fears, disappointments- everything finally let go in a long session of sobs and pained tears. When at last the crying ended, Naruto had a small smile that, unknown to him, was the same as what his unconscious body had. Naruto felt…at peace. Relieved. It was a good feeling. He looked up into the black mass that was his own darkness.

"Thank you…thank you for everything." A thought then occurred to Naruto. While it had a semi-will of its own, the darkness came from Naruto's own heart…so in a sense, he was thanking his own heart, thus thanking himself…ugh. Naruto ignored that train of thought, deciding it was too complicated for an 8 year old to work out.

"So…now what?" As Naruto looked around, he realized that he had no idea how Kyuubi had actually brought the boy into his own subconscious. Therefore, getting out could be a problem.

"Well, I might as well start walking. Maybe I'll find an exit at some point." Naruto then turned to his darkness. "Are you ready to go?" To say Naruto was unprepared for what happened next is like saying an ocean is damp. The darkness rushed at Naruto, even as he was finishing his sentence. It pushed into him, right at his heart. Naruto closed his eye in anticipation, but surprisingly it didn't hurt. It was over quickly, and soon Naruto was alone in his mind again…and yet he could feel the darkness in him, waiting there for his call. Naruto could say only one thing.

"Cool." Naruto then realized: this stuff, while not as strong as Kyuubi, had been able to destroy the demon, something even the fourth couldn't do. And his heart was producing this stuff, very slowly but consistently. He could feel it happening. If he could learn to use it, he'd have a superpower that no one else would! He almost drooled at the idea of the possibilities his darkness could unlock. True, it might be a little risky using it in front of the village, but he still had chakra. If he could eventually prove himself, then when he was respected, he could show his darkness power and awe everyone. He'd be Hokage in no time!

With this cheery thought in mind, Naruto set off, looking for an exit back into consciousness. Naruto Uzumaki was in a good mood.

**1 hour later…**

Naruto Uzumaki was **not** in a good mood.

"Ugh." While he wasn't tired, still retaining his inhuman chakra reserves, stamina, and regeneration abilities even without the demon, Naruto **was** getting rather pissed of at walking in a black space with no scenery. He hadn't seen a single change, and over the hour his good mood had slowly worsened.

"I didn't think my mind could be so big…I'm only 8 years old." Naruto looked around, but only saw the same background he had been staring at for the last hour. For all he knew, he hadn't even moved from the same spot.

"Grrrr…why isn't there a fucking exit?!" And as Naruto shouted this, a small door appeared in front of him, with the word 'exit' written in yellow above it. He sweat dropped. "…ok. Fine, I'll take it." Naruto opened the door, and was met with a flash of light, then darkness. And as he opened his eyes, Naruto could see the white walls of the hospital, could smell the antiseptic tinge that came with the place…and could hear the comforting voice of the old man.

"Naruto? Thank goodness, you're awake." Sarutobi almost crushed the boy to his chest, thanking whatever deity was up there that Naruto had come back to a conscious state. "I was so worried; for a while I didn't think you were going to wake up."

Naruto was about to speak, to tell the Hokage everything that had just happened: the Kyuubi, the darkness…but just then, Naruto realized that while he could trust the old man, it may not be very smart at the moment to mention either of those things. Especially without knowing what kind of reaction the Hokage would have to the darkness. Even if the old man cared for him, there was no way the darkness could look good right now. So, in order to avoid an awkward and potentially dangerous situation, Naruto did the only thing that seemed honestly smart.

He lied.

"Hey old man, what happened? One minute I'm running in an alley, and the next I'm here. How'd I get in the hospital anyway?"

Sarutobi then faked his own smile, something the boy wasn't experienced at seeing in others, and thought for a moment. Naruto was using his mask again…yet this time, he seemed slightly nervous. Like there was something he wanted to hide. Sarutobi questioned the idea of talking to Naruto about it, but then dismissed that thought. After all that had happened, now wasn't the best time. Besides, it couldn't be anything that big, right?

"Naruto, I'm glad we found you. We heard you had been chased for a while. I was worried they had hurt you."

At this, Naruto looked himself over, surprised. All his wounds were gone. He assumed it was the darkness. He looked up grinning. "Hey I always heal fast old man!"

"Yes, yes you do Naruto. And thank goodness for it. Now, since you seem to be all healed, what would you say to something to eat?"

"Yatta! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Naruto grabbed the Hokage's sleeve and tugged hard, determined to keep the charade up till he could get some alone time.

For his part, Sarutobi didn't question Naruto. That could always come later. At the moment, Sandaime simply was concerned with making sure Naruto had a decent night.

Sometime later, Sarutobi would regret not staying out later with Naruto than he did. He would regret not enjoying the good time he had whenever he spent time with the poor boy, and the peaceful feeling that followed.

Because after that night, normalcy was over. And things began to get _**weird**_…

(Break)

They called to him. He sped up, running through alleys, aside buildings, and through parks. They called to him from a small wood.

Ever since had woken that morning, Naruto Uzumaki had had a sense of positive outlook that he could not remember. First off, he had awoken on a soft, comfortable bed in a small but well kept room. A far cry from the usual. Sarutobi had let Naruto have a guest room in the Hokage's mansion, something that he was very grateful for. No dirty smells or newspaper blankets...and no fear of being attacked while he lay asleep. Naruto was then treated to a large, **healthy** breakfast, and afterwards was given new clothes to replace the rags he had been wearing. His new outfit sported small black boots, black cargo pants, and a white t-shirt with black sleeves. Not a bad look altogether, and it didn't scream "Oooh! Oooh! Can you please come to where I'm hiding and shove a kunai up my ass mister?" (AN: If you look at Naruto's clothes closely, you'll be able to correctly guess who he'll be dressed like later on. He won't become like him really…I just think the clothes would look awesome on Naruto.)

The Hokage had then made an offer to Naruto. Two in fact. The first was to enroll Naruto in the Ninja academy when he turned nine in 12 months. This one Naruto had flat out accepted. He had seen the kind of kids that went into the academy, and most looked about 12. A three year advantage would be an immense help.

The second offer was harder. It had been to have Naruto move in with Sarutobi and his family. To let him live there permanently. This had been an amazing offer to Naruto. It was almost adoption. He had never thought anyone would ever offer him...a home. But even as he considered the offer, Naruto realized he couldn't accept it. If he said yes, Sarutobi would get trouble from those who would be against the Hokage taking in 'that boy'. After everything, he couldn't let the old man take that burden for him. (AN: Sometimes, Naruto is too nice for his own good, huh?)

So, using the mask of false pride, Naruto convinced Sarutobi into believing Naruto simply didn't want to rely on the old man. In the end, Sarutobi hesitantly consented, and after some searching, a small apartment was found for Naruto. Sandaime planned to personally deliver to Naruto a small stipend once a week, for him to live on.

As Naruto had looked around the small apartment, he saw it wasn't too bad. Tiny kitchen an inch from a small living room. A door leading to a small bedroom. All simple, and plain, but for Naruto, who had never had anything, it was more than enough. He, just save some money, and spruce the place up when he could. He even had running water and a shower now. No more smelling like ass unless he dipped in a small, cold river nearby.

Naruto had lay down upon his small bed and sighed in happiness. He was at peace.

Then they called.

At first it was just an itch in his head. Soon, it slowly grew, to a buzzing, then a drone, and then a calling he could no longer ignore. There were no words spoken, no speech, yet he was called. He knew that much. Whatever they were, they called to him, some 'voices' pleading, some begging, and some clamming, all trying for his attention. When he finally could no longer ignore it, Naruto decide to follow the calls, and maybe see if he could get them to stop.

As he reached the wood, Naruto half-noticed that the calls had not gotten louder as he got closer. Strange, but whatever. He was more distracted by his travel. It seemed that without Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto's own pathways were clearer. He could feel the chakra flowing smoothly through him for once, like a calm river. Naruto felt stronger, faster, and more balanced and controlled. It wasn't much, but it made a noticeable difference. It felt good, and yet…he sighed, wishing he could feel the strong yet peaceful rush of darkness going through him. It felt more right than anything he'd ever felt.

Naruto ran further into the woods, dodging around trees, shrubs, streams, animals, rocks. He moved with a straight purpose, drawn like a magnet to the voices. They were close, he could feel it.

As he stopped at a small clearing in the woods, Naruto looked around. He was there… but only him. Nothing moved, not even a slight wind. Yet the voices were still there. He looked around, but saw nothing. "Hello?" He called out again, but nothing. There was nothing there.

"Weird. This doesn't make sense. They are crying out to me…but I can't even see who, or what 'they' are." The longer he stood there, the stupider Naruto felt. He had run all the way out here for nothing, for voices that apparently didn't exist. "Jeez Naruto, you idiot. What were you thinking? This could all have been a trap by some biased villager. You trained yourself to avoid stupid stuff like this, remember? I never did anything like this before last night and…and…" His rant ceased. No…that couldn't be it…could it?

"The darkness…" It was the only thing new to Naruto, and only now after his heart had started making the stuff had the voices started. "Well, it's worth a shot." Not totally sure what he was even doing, he closed his eyes, and tried to feel his heart.

Silence…

"Darkness?" he said in his mind. "It's me…or you…whatever. Um… I think you're why I hear the voices. I know they're coming from here, but I can't see them. Please, if you could, help me see them?" There was silence for a moment more. Then…

"AH!" Naruto cried out, his eyes still closed. The darkness had suddenly started rushing to his eyes. Not a lot, not the amount like last night, but still quite a large amount. It burned its way into his retina, his very eyeballs. As his screams soon died down, Naruto gritted his teeth through the pain, and opened his eyes.

Only to gasp in alarm.

Had there been anyone else around, nothing would have changed, except for Naruto's eyes, which now glowed a bright yellow color. Not even the pupil showed.

For Naruto, the situation had changed. He could now see normally, except now he could see who the voices were coming from and match them too their source. Though, 'what' the voices were coming from might be more appropriate.

For where there had seemingly been nothing before, Naruto saw not people…but hearts.

They floated there, a small but bright glow surrounding each one. They looked like the kind of simple, red hearts one drew on Valentine's Day cards, minus the uneven curved lines. Perfect hearts. Yet nothing but hearts. There was no body.

"Whoa…" And as Naruto stated this, counting out the 25 hearts floating there, he looked down, and saw his own heart. It was the same as there, except brighter…though while it was brighter, the darkness flowed smoothly and continuously out of his heart, never stopping or changing pace. "That's…my heart? Amazing…" Naruto then looked up; the hearts had closed in, forming a small circle. They seemed peaceful enough. Naruto then reached out to one of them. His finger got closer…

Bam! Naruto was suddenly assaulted by strange images, ones he'd never seen before. A small boy …then a pretty woman with raven hair… then the sudden flash of a sword…and it had ended there. But they had seemed so real…Naruto had felt like he was actually there.

"What...what was that?" Naruto reach out to a separate heart, and again more images played, a different person this time. Naruto couldn't see what was doing it though. He willed a little more darkness to his eyes, and was rewarded with a sudden zoom vision. His eyes telescoped in on one of the hearts…there. In it were small chain links, each one connecting and branching out. He looked in…and along each one, more images played out. The chains, though tiny, stretched on seemingly infinitely in the heart. He couldn't tell where it started and where it ended. The images seemed to be on a timeline at some point though, progressing. It was like looking at a movie of a life, someone's experiences, their…their…

"Memories." He looked closer at other hearts, and realized that the chains were the memories of whoever the heart had once been. Naruto then looked at his own heart, and saw the very same chains. "It's a chain of memories. Incredible." He reached out to the first heart. There were links there the other hearts had, but Naruto didn't possess himself. Links that seemed dimmer than the rest. His finger maneuvered to the faint links and touched them.

He was then assaulted by new images. Naruto could see the aforementioned sword coming down on someone…then the image went black, as if whoever was holding the sword had closed their eyes. There was a sudden sense of agony, horrible pain…then nothing.

Wait. There was something in the background. Pale white. The shape was blurred, but it was starting to change, to take on color even. What was-?

But the image was drove from Naruto's mind as the world came back into focus. He could see the heart now, clear as day. It floated there watching as 30 other hearts floated beside it. Naruto could somehow sense the intentions of 6 of those hearts. They wanted to leave. For what, Naruto couldn't tell. The other 25 wanted to stay. They couldn't leave. They didn't want to. They wanted to wait, and hope, for another chance to exist again in the world, even if a chance never came…

Naruto pulled out. The whole experience had been very enlightening...but that pale image confounded him. And the 6 other hearts...what had they left for? What could be left for a heart with no body? Naruto thought for a minute. Well, if darkness in his eyes could let him see the hearts and their chains, maybe darkness on his hands would let him probe deeper. Naruto willed his darkness again, and watched in interest as it swirled out of his palm, and encased his hand, flowing like a glove, flashes of the skin underneath. He reached out to touch the chains-

But never got there. As Naruto's hand reached the outer 'skin' of the heart, the darkness suddenly shot forth, and wrapped around the heart.

"What the-!" Naruto tried to call the darkness back, but instead **more** darkness shot out of his hand in response. It encased the heart completely, and then thickened, slowly forming a ball around it. The other hearts extended the circle, waiting excitedly.

This might be their chance…

The dark ball floated down to earth and hit. The darkness, for a moment, shaped round the heart forming a thick, black heart shape, then turned back into the ball or darkness…and then it began to change. It shrank, forming a small body outline. Thin legs pushed out to end in small, pointed feet. No claws or toes. It formed a thin torso, with no distinct features. Arms formed that ended in clawed hands with 4 fingers, all the same size. A head grew out of the body with no neck. The head was round, with no nose, mouth, hair, no real features. Two antennae curled above the head. There was nothing…except the eyes. Two small eyes, bright yellow like Naruto's. The creature couldn't have been more than 2 feet tall. It then started hopping; its movement's quick and fluid.

"I…I…" Naruto was frightened. First off, the darkness had seemed to be out of his control for a minute there. And the thing the heart had become…no, wait. The heart was still there. He could see it now, still contained by that darkness. "I am **so **sorry…" Naruto's voice cracked in fear and horror at what he had done. He reached out his hand to pull the darkness back and free the heart-

Except the creature had other ideas. It suddenly flattened into the ground, and then moved across the ground at a rapid pace. Amazingly fast. It then popped up a few meters away, back to normal.

"Wait! Please, I just want to turn you back..." But the creature shook its head. "You...don't want to be normal again?" It nodded. "Wait…it's still you in there, the heart, right?" A nod. "You wanted this didn't you…so you could exist again, right?" It nodded. At this the hearts around him quivered. "You all...don't mind the darkness?" They quivered, and somehow Naruto could sense a no from them.

He smiled. This was it. An opportunity to not only use his darkness, but to help someone.

He looked around at the hearts encircling him.

"Ok, here it goes…" Naruto closed his shining eyes, concentrated, and willed the darkness to them. To all of them. And as he did, it rushed out…no, it exploded out from Naruto, in a wave of darkness. It swept out to grasp all of the hearts, and in less than minute they had all repeated the same process. 4 rows of six now stood behind the first creature. Naruto surveyed his handiwork, and smiled. "Well, that's it. You're all back. I hope you find whatever it is you came back for." Naruto stepped back, and expected them to run off, maybe even slide out in that same motion the first had done. What he didn't expect was for them to stand there.

"Huh? What's wrong? You can all go now." Still they stood, staring at him, waiting. "You guys don't want do go?" They shook their heads. "Do you…wanna stay with me?" Nodding. He then took stock of them. They were all probably fast, like the first. And those claws…

"Do you…wanna fight for me?" As if in response, the first suddenly ran/hobbled over to a thick tree 20 feet away. Not as fast as his sliding, but still quick. He leapt; there was a swipe of his claws, and he landed, deep gouge marks in the tree behind him. Without pause the creature slid back to position where it had started.

All this within 6 seconds.

"Whoa…" As Naruto gazed at the damage, a new concept came to mind, like when he had thought of the potential his darkness gave him. If he could find more hearts, and they would stay with him…Naruto could have his own squad of fighters to summon. Heck, everyone had a heart, so if he found enough, Naruto could have his own army!

He then tried testing his authority. "All of you slash a tree like this one did." They complied. Naruto noticed none of them were as fast, or clawed as deep, as the first had. "Hm… you're special, aren't you? Well, then you get a name. Would you like that?" It nodded. (AN: Give Naruto a break here-he's 8) Naruto scrunched up his face in concentration, thinking, till he suddenly brightened and grinned. "I know, how about I call you Shih?" Shih nodded. (AN: pronounced sheeh.) "Great! Now…what do I call you guys in general?" This took a little longer, till Naruto noticed his shadow, lengthened by the sun, reach out to touch Shih. "Shadow…yeah, that's it! I'll call you guys Shadows." They all nodded seemingly in response.

"Hmm…how do I hide you guys though? And my apartment is too small for all of you…" But even as he spoke this the shadows suddenly vanished in a small puff of darkness. Naruto was alone again. "Wait! Come back!" And in that same puff they reappeared. "Whoa…I can send you guys away till I need you…that's so cool! You guys are like the ultimate summoning!"

It was then that Naruto realized he should probably have a name for his summons. Not shadows. That was what these guys were. But from what Naruto had heard two Jounin talking about once, there were broad types of summons, like toads, that then came in a large variety of different subtypes. That was probably what the Shadows were. But what could he give as a main name? These guys were unlike anything he'd ever seen. Hell, they were pitch-black. If not for Naruto's dark-vision he'd think they were nothing but darkness, with no hearts-

That was it. He had a name. And they would be the first of them.

If Naruto had known how much of an impact these creatures would make, had known all the different and powerful types he would create, had seen how much they would fight, how much they would help his own darkness grow, and how famous and infamous they and he would become to shinobi, he probably would have made the announcement more dramatic, or louder. As it was, he gave a simple smile, and spoke in a soft, firm voice.

"I'll call them the Heartless."

(break)

_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: Man, the heartless are amazing. I keep making new ones, and my own training is going great as well!_

_Naruto: But I can't stop now, I have to see how far the darkness can go._

_Naruto: Wait, what's that noise?_

_Next Time: __**His first bond of friendship. Seal it with the darkness Naruto!**_

_: 416__…417…418…419…_

_(Break)_

Wow. I am so sorry it took this long. There are other people that take months, for chapters smaller than mine, but I still feel amazingly guilty for making all of you wait, especially those who review me. Thank you as always for your insight and opinions. School is getting more time consuming as the year draws to a close, as I'm sure you must all be going though. I also hit a horrible writer block in how Naruto would find the hearts. I thank my 'sister' Kamikon Wolf, as I have before, for helping me through my writing crisis. Now, I know some of you may be confused by how this all is working, as the hearts are able to choose not to return to Kingdom Hearts. Granted, this is a fanfic, so things can break laws, but if enough of you have questions, and they're the same questions, I'll try to answer them at the top of the next chapter before it starts. It's actually going well, and your many kind reviews show me this fic is worth writing. But, there is no limit to reviews. Good or flames, I will graciously accept whatever you send me. Well, next chapter will see very slight time skip, some progression, and an event that will mean something huge much later on. A nice little twist of mine. I can't wait.

Ja ne!


	4. First Bond of Friendship

Ok. I am SO sorry to those of you who wonder where this had been. Summer, writer's block, and procrastination have been stabbing my poor brain like a well aimed kunai. I'm so glad I finally got this out.

I'm glad you all have still been reviewing. I'm hoping to keep get more, as I really need to see what in my writing style is or isn't working for you all. I also need to know how you all like my plot. PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Anyway, this is going to be a time skip, about 3 months after the end of chapter 3. Naruto is going to make one of two important friends here. The second one I'll cover in another chapter, probably the next. This chapter took so much time so I could shape the meeting here. Since Naruto and the special friend meet here, I realized he wouldn't be like how he was in canon time. So, I had to create his personality out of nothing. As you can imagine, this took up the bulk of my time, because technically I played God with an imaginary soul. Sorry, but its hard making up reactions with nothing to base them on.

Oh, and in the case of Heartless, I'm putting links in my profile to good pictures.

There are two other things. 1. Naruto and friends will never, I repeat NEVER visit other worlds. This is within the Naruto universe at all times. There will only be one character seen in KHII that will appear. It will be brief, and when you see what happens, some of you will want Behemoth to tear out my heart and crush it, and then let Guard and Reverse Armor do a tap dance on my soul while Darkside and Twilight Thorn pound my body to dust… OO Yes, that bad.

Though I am thinking of including brief appearances by characters from other shows. Any ideas? Tell me, with a GOOD, thought out reason for it.

2. Some of you commented, either in review or a private message, that you are glad on the clothing change. While I'm glad you like what I gave him, and am only slightly disappointed that no one guessed whose clothes Naruto will eventually get, a few of you commented or messaged that you are glad I made Naruto 'finally' get rid of the jumpsuit.

I would now like to take this opportunity to say to those people…shame on you. And to those who were meaner about it, fuck you. In my story, if not in the actual anime, as a child, Naruto is ignored like he is a god-damn plague. He is kicked out of most stores in Konoha, is poor, has no parents, is malnourished, and lived in an orphanage till recently. He is desperate for the attention and love he should have gotten positively as a child so many years ago…and all you can say is "Oh, I hate that glaring orange jumpsuit!"?

You sick bastards! For fuck's sake, I know it's bad for being a ninja too, but you should be glad he's alive. Don't come down on Naruto for his jacket and pants- he gets enough undeserved crap as it is. I know I'm feeling for an imaginary character, but I think all authors care for their characters at some point.

By the way, a vote is needed and it's **VERY IMPORTANT!!!** Well…not really, just a small thing I can't decide on. I want to make Shino a minor, maybe semi-semi major character later, but I can't decide on something that will be crucial to his character, and possibly any romance I give him- what's behind his glasses? Should it be no eyeballs, meaning empty sockets? Or should I give him a genetic defect from when the kakai bugs were put into him as a child that only his family knows about, giving him inscectoid-like eyes, and makes him an outcast in his own clan? I like the second choice better, but I've seen the empty sockets thing done very well. Please vote on this.

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Four**

The first bond of friendship. Seal it with the darkness Naruto!

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_(Three months later)_

The boy sped up. He had been running like this for over half an hour. In response, his pursuer only increased its speed. The boy dashed around trees, jumped over rocks, and splashed through streams. Yet none of this caused the chaser to falter. It would catch up eventually. Its quarry was not fast enough yet to escape.

It was inevitable that soon the chase would end. The quarry could not last forever. Soon, the boy would tire, or make a flaw in his strategy, and then the hunter would catch him. It was only a matter of time, and this hunter had at one time spent years and years waiting for something. To wait maybe an hour at most was nothing.

The chase eventually wound its way into a small clearing. Here, the prey made a fatal mistake, looking back to its pursuer to see it was still there. The boy then of course could not have seen the small footfall his foot got caught in, and subsequently fell to the ground. He was uninjured, but this had given the chaser time to catch up. This was it. The boy turned back to his pursuer. Dark, sharp claws stretched themselves out. The chaser leapt, stretching out-

Only to land lightly on the boy's chest, gently tapping his shoulder.

Under Shih, Naruto Uzumaki could only giggle childishly.

"Aww, you caught me! Ok, I'm it!"

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As Naruto ran through the woods, determined to catch Shih, who was surprisingly fast, he thought back on everything that had happened to him recently in the last three months. He then briefly wondered what would have happened to him, if that night had never happened. If Kyuubi was still inside of him, unknown to Naruto. The little Uzumaki shrugged. Knowing his luck, he'd be dead, or at least worse off than before…if that was even possible.

Naruto shook his head. '_Stop thinking on the past you idiot, and enjoy what you've got now.' _

The last three months had indeed been kind to young Naruto. It had all started with the excitement over his upcoming entry into the ninja academy. Knowing this was a chance to become stronger, like the old man, to prove he was worth something….it was almost too much for Naruto. To this end, he had started getting more exercise into his daily routine. Push-ups, sit-ups, jogging, chin-ups, squats, ect. Though he was still only eight, this slowly started to show on the kid, as he started putting some meat on his bones.

Another thing that had helped him to get stronger was the discovery of solid, reliable food. He had been walking along the village when he had discovered a small establishment in a part of the village that was all oh the village's food vendors and restaurants. After passing over the usual places that either kicked him out or overcharged, he found one he had never really noticed before. 'Ichiraku Ramen' it was called. Naruto had been desperately hungry at the time, so he ducked in to try and buy something to eat, even though he more than half expected to be kicked out immediately.

Nothing could have been further than the truth. Naruto had been able not only to make his way to the counter and sit, but the older girl who stood behind it seemed very nice. She looked to be about 15, with flowing brown hair, black eyes, a nice body, and a …well, for lack of a better description, a 'loving sister' face. She had even greeted him with a real smile. He had barely been able to keep his jaw from dropping in shock.

"Hi, welcome to Ichiraku Ramen," she had said in a bright voice. "Is this your first time? I don't think we've ever seen you here, and I usually remember all of our customers." Naruto could only stare; still amazed a villager was treating him so…so kindly. She just giggled and went on. "The name is Ayame. What can I get for you today?"

Naruto snapped back to reality with a small blush of embarrassment. "Um…I don't know…I never really tried ramen before and- "

"WHAT?!" The shout had almost frightened Naruto off of his seat, before a man emerged from the back kitchen, a look of horror upon his face. He looked to be in his 40's, yet his full head of hair was a light gray that seemed a sign of pre-mature aging. His body was still in good condition apparently; as he had run out to the counter so fast he had almost bowled Ayame over. He stared down at Naruto with an almost angry face, and a hand clenched in a fist.

"What do you mean you've never tried ramen?! Have you been living under a rock all your life? I simply-" This was where it ended as Ayame punched the older man on the head, effectively stopping his tirade. She gave Naruto an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. This is my father, Teuchi. He…takes his job very seriously, and his patrons as well. To him, never having tried ramen is like a sin."

Teuchi shook his head in exasperation. "I told you before Ayame, it's not _like_ a sin, it **IS **a sin. Now come on, we have to help this poor depraved kid as soon as-"Once again, Ayame was forced to end her father's tirade with another bop to the head

"And this is why you don't work the counter anymore dad. You scare the new customers away." She then turned to Naruto. "Tell you what. Since this is your first time here, how about a free miso ramen, to see if you like the taste?"

Free food? No catch? Naruto seemed shocked at the prospect, and could only nod. Within a few minutes, a hot steaming bowl was set in front of him. Naruto looked at it, and then looked back up at her confused.

Ayame stared back for a moment, and then giggled. "Oh yeah, sorry. You never had ramen before. Well first you eat up the noodles with the chopsticks, and then drink the soup up, ok? That's all there is to it."

Naruto just shrugged, and picked up his chopsticks to try out the weird bowl of soup and noodles. "Oh well. Itadakimasu!"

(_10 minutes later_)

"Ah, that was great. I'm stuffed!" Naruto leaned back on the stool, a large smile on his face. In front of him, Teuchi and Ayame could only sweat drop and look on in something akin to astonishment and horror. 10 minutes prior, Naruto had literally leapt up in his seat after trying the ramen, proclaiming it the food of the gods and the best thing he had ever tasted. Teuchi smartly realized he may have snagged another regular in the kid, and in doing so ironically made a fatal flaw.

"Hey Naruto," The boy looked up at him. "Tell you what. This is your first time here, so how about just for now, I'll make you free ramen till you're stuffed?" Naruto's eyes had lit up in glee. He could tell the old man wasn't lying. All the ramen he wanted!

Which was how, 10 minutes later, 40 bowls lay empty in front of the little Uzumaki. Teuchi could only stare in awe and slight fear at the eating machine that was Naruto.

"No…no way. How did you eat that much?"

Naruto smiled, embarrassed. "Heh…well, I do get really hungry a lot...and it's hard to find a good place to eat around here." At this, Teuchi raised an eyebrow, and then turned to Ayame. "Listen dear, could you get the day's report from the kitchen?" As she left, Teuchi looked around, then seeing the coast clear, turned back to Naruto and leaned in to talk softly. "Listen, Naruto-"

At this, Naruto cut him off, scared; if he knew his name, then the man must have known about the fox.

"You…know my name? Then you know about…it, right?" Naruto looked down shamefully and rubbed his stomach, remembering he had to keep up the illusion that Kyuubi was still alive. Teuchi, surprised Naruto knew about the demon, nodded in reply.

Naruto sighed. This could only mean he was about to be asked to never come back to the place again. Too bad really. They had almost seemed nice, and the food was good. "You don't have to say anything more Teuchi-san. I'll stay clear of here from now on. I promise."

"Huh?" This had been the last thing he had expected, but then, looking at Naruto, he suddenly realized the kid knew he wasn't wanted in most places. The old man had to frown. For a child so young to go through this…disgraceful. He shook his head, and then looked at Naruto in the eyes.

"Listen, I don't care about that…thing being in you. I respect what you must go through, keeping that bakemono inside you. You shouldn't suffer for that furry baka, right?" At this, Naruto giggled at how Kyuubi would have reacted at someone calling him a 'furry baka'. Glad at the smile on the kid, he went on. "Anyway, if you ever want something to eat, you're always welcome at Ichiraku Ramen, ok Naruto?"

"But…but if people see me coming here, you could lose business-"

"Then to Hell with 'em. I mean it Naruto, I'll take you over them, and if they can't accept that, I don't want them in my place, ok?"

Naruto stared back in astonishment. Here was a normal person. Not a heartless owing him something. Not the Hokage. A normal person, who knew about the fox…, was treating him kindly. Naruto had to swallow to keep the tears from forming in his eyes.

"Y-yeah, ok Teuchi-san."

Teuchi grinned at how happy the boy looked. "Hey, don't put san at the end. It sounds too formal for my tastes, and my hair makes me feel too old as it is." Just then Ayame returned from the back with the book. "Here it is dad." Teuchi took it, keeping the charade up, and then looked back to Naruto. "Ok Naruto, you run along and have a good day then, alright?"

Naruto smiled, then jumped up and took off, calling back "Bye Ayame-neechan! Bye Teuchi-jisan!" As he ran off, the old man could only chuckle, both at Naruto calling them like family, and the confused smile on his daughter's face.

As for Naruto, he just smiled. That day he had found something better, much better than food.

He had been accepted.

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After that day, Ichiraku was almost constantly and daily visited by the blonde ball of energy who, having not much else to spend on with the Hokage's stipend, was pleased to come in and down anywhere from 8 to 18 bowls a day. Teuchi figured a few years of this and he could retire before 50.

Naruto meanwhile found that not only did they serve the best ramen, they also made ramen with healthy stuff added in, and had a few regular meals as well. Balancing out with the ramen, it soon, meant Naruto was not only well nourished, but was eating healthy as well. Between that and his exercise, he was getting into good shape for his up and coming academy days.

The next thing had been learning to read and write. Never having been taught before, this constituted a large hurdle in Naruto's path, seeing as how he had no books of his own. Fortune smiled on Naruto however, as Sarutobi took his weekends off after being approached by Naruto about his problem.

After about 2 months, and some hard work on Naruto's part, he had actually advanced to a high reading level, one far above his age. While didn't always understand what he was reading, he could read out loud with an eloquence that was remarkable for an 8 year old, and Sarutobi could only marvel at how Naruto had soaked it in. He also had the same results in math.

However, eventually he would have to start understanding what he had read, which meant reading a lot more stuff. Unfortunately, most of Naruto's study on reading had come from piecing words from the Hokage's weird orange book together. When asked if he could read the whole thing, the old man had only blushed, and told Naruto that he would have to go the shinobi or village libraries to find books to work on.

Here Naruto hit a small, but annoying snag. As one might guess, most people in Konoha weren't as kind to Naruto as Teuchi and his daughter. This included the librarians, who kicked Naruto from the building. He could have reported them to the Hokage, but Sandaime was busy a lot of the time, and Naruto couldn't rely on him forever. He spent an entire week thinking on the problem. Then, suddenly, his answer came.

Use the Heartless.

Ah yes, the Heartless. Ever since the day he had first made them, Naruto had spent the entire two months using up at least some of each day looking around in the forests near Konoha for more idle hearts to bring back. He wished he could look in town, but it would be impossible to help them there, for Naruto and the heartless themselves would be assaulted if they were discovered.

Thankfully, Naruto had met no hearts that didn't wish for the chance to come back, and in that time had found 30 more Shadows that stayed with him. However, that wasn't all. While most hearts he found become shadows, some seemed to become different kinds of heartless, depending on how much darkness Naruto forced into them, and also how he infused it.

Some became what appeared to be the Shadows encased in black/blue/purple knight's armor, with red claws and a face plate that was always open, which he named Soldiers **(1)**. They were quick like the Shadows, though a leaping, mid-air melee spinning attack replaced the ability to slide invincible along the ground. It seemed comical actually-well, until it tore a 2 foot thick tree in half anyway.

Others appeared to be small, perpetually floating lanterns about a foot high, which had tiny stick-like legs, a tiny yellow hat that floated above two yellow eyes set in a black, featureless head. These he named depending on the color their torso appeared in: the Blue Rhapsody **(2)** who fired bolts of frost, the Yellow Opera **(3)** who shot out balled lightning, and the Red Nocturne **(4)** who attacked with balls of fire. ((A.N.: For those who are planning to question how he named the last three heartless, wait a while and your answer will come.))

His most recent acquisition had been two of a new type of heartless, which he named the Large Body's.**(5) **Making them had been difficult for Naruto, who had decided to use a very large amount of darkness in making them in order to test his limits. He used so much it had taken 3 days to get back up to his normal level. However, it had been worth the effort. Not only was it a good test for his limits and a step on increasing his darkness reserves, but the new heartless were impressive.

Large shoed feet gave way to black legs with 2 silver rings around them. The creature moved at a decent speed, which was surprising since the legs were only maybe half a foot long. They gave way to the main body, which took up about 8.5 feet of height, and was across the size of a large truck. The outer body was a dark blue, with a purple vest stretched over it and tied with yellow string over the stomach. On each wrist was a silver and purple manacle, with 3 chain links hanging lazily. A black head with only 2 yellow eyes rose from a silver collar and was topped by a silver hat. To call these things fat… was to say an ocean is damp. But their physical strength more than made up for this as it allowed them to smash large rocks as one crushes an eggshell.

What had pleased Naruto most was that upon trying to test them out in combat, the Large Body's proved to be partly invincible. Any attack on their front or sides was met with a blue-tinted barrier, and even after an hour of kicks and punches by Naruto, even after Shih making a valiant assault, it seemed to be unbreakable. Unfortunately, the back was not covered in a similar fashion, and Naruto soon found that it was easy to get behind the big lummox and attack their rear. Still, even then they had high durability, at least to Naruto's current level of strength. And in their barrier Naruto found a lifetime punching bag that would never break.

Shih had grown as well. The little Shadow hadn't gotten bigger, or more powerful per say. However, it seemed that as Naruto became stronger and faster, so did Shih. Yet his development was only proportional to Naruto's. Lucky for him, Naruto was still improving at a steady rate. Shih proved to be faster and stronger than any shadow, could take a few Soldiers on his own, and at this rate could even begin to take on the slower but stronger Large Body's within a month or two.

Now you may be wondering what all this has to do with reading. Well, Naruto realized he wasn't near a point in shinobi skill where he could get into the library-or even get books out. Hell, he didn't have any, unless being able to hide really well from up to chuunin ninja counted.

However, the Shadows proved themselves in helping our little guy out. Shi, with a team of 4 other Shadows, would wait till midnight on Naruto's orders, and then sneak into the library by sliding under the door, where they had free access to books. It seemed like a great idea to Naruto, and if he kept it up once a week, he could eventually read everything.

Admittedly, the first night Naruto has realized a fatal flaw in his plan- how would the heartless get the books outside without opening a door, thus tripping an alarm? He had panicked, until clever little Shih had come up with an answer.

Naruto had been peering through a crack in the main doors, telling them to leave the books and get out, when Shih had done something unexpected-he suddenly looked down at the book, pushed it at his chest, and _absorbed_ the book into himself, leaving Naruto speechless. Shih then slid under the door, reappeared on the other side, and had reached into his body, only to pull out the book undamaged by the flattening Heartless. The other Shadow had followed suit. Naruto only smiled in ecstatic glee. With this, he not only could keep clear of getting caught, but really did have access to the whole library. Even the restricted Jutsu section when he was good enough to learn them!

With this, Naruto had spent the last month using part of his night's reading, thankful once again for the stamina and recovery rate that both Kyuubi's previous occupation and the darkness had given him. Within the last month, he could not only read like an educated adult, but was well on his way to understanding everything in the books: shinobi history, politics, kid's stories; basic subjects like science, chem., and physics; novels, basic shinobi survival, ect.

Most of what he read, minus the shinobi books and politics, Naruto figured he would never use, but hey, it couldn't hurt, and it would help prove someday he wasn't a single minded idiot. He had recently started some basic books and scrolls on chakra control and reserves, determined not to let his ninja power fall to far behind his darkness power. He didn't really understand them yet, but figured once he started the academy he would.

After the first night, the librarian in charge had gone to the Hokage, claiming that Naruto must have done it-cause let's face it, when a villager of Konoha is at a loss for something bad happening, or going missing, it must be the "demon's" fault, right? Well unfortunately, the Hokage demanded evidence, to which the librarian could not reply and stormed off in a rage.

Naruto continued to get away with this; even though Sarutobi was concerned the Library's security was being penetrated right under his nose. Even his crystal ball had been unable to see what was happening to the books, and even more confusing was how new ones would vanish while old ones turned up unharmed.

Thankfully for Naruto, the crystal ball the Sandaime used detected chakra signatures to locate people, leaving the Heartless perfectly safe from his eyes. That, coupled with their body color at night and their speed, which actually got them past chuunin that were assigned to guard the library, made each visit for Shih and his companions a milk run.

Naruto's power over darkness had also made some improvements. Testing out darkness in his eyes had allowed him not only the ability to see hearts, but even in pitch black he could see as clear as if the sun was shining, and they seemed to penetrate partway into smoke or mist.

Applying it to his hands and feet no longer just let him create heartless, but increased the power of his attacks, letting him hit a bit harder than normal. He only hoped he'd eventually get to a point where it wasn't so draining though. At the moment it just wasn't helpful in a sustained battle.

Recently, Naruto had also made an interesting choice in making an emblem for himself and the Heartless. It had been a stroke of inspiration one day while looking at the Uchiha fan while passing the almost abandoned part of town where they used to live. If they could have one, why not Naruto and the Heartless?

This time, he only needed a minute before his powerful imagination had come up with a simple, but effective idea: it was a heart, like the ones his Heartless were made from, but the bottom ended in a three pronged hook instead of a point. The heart was pitch black with a red outline, and over the heart were two red lines with thorns.

Naruto had smiled at the creative, yet simple genius of it. A perfect symbol for the Heartless. He had branded them all with it using a special type of jutsu. He had read in the books how jutsu were classified by style. So, he created his own type and jutsu for the seal branding-**Darkness Style: Heartless ****Emblem**. It basically consisted of Naruto holding his right hand in a fist with his index finger up, and concentrating the darkness till it formed the outline of the emblem. He then pressed it to the Heartless, and the image appeared.

He used it on all of the Heartless …well most of them. For some reason the shadows seemed…purer than the other heartless. For that reason he left them unbranded, although he had branded all of his shirts with it, right over his heart. It was a funny irony in his eyes, and everyone else thought he was just making a poor attempt to look cool or act out somehow, so no one questioned it or paid it mind. None of them realized how important this symbol would one day become.

On an interesting side note, one night Shih had brought back not a shinobi book, not a story- but a book on beginner's violin, and also a book on singing. Naruto had looked at them with…well, confusion to say the least, wondering if Shih seriously expected Naruto to read them. However, curiosity eventually won over, and Naruto had actually found himself sucked in by the complexity and artwork that was music. A week later, Shih had brought back 3 more presents: two new books on violin and singing, and most surprisingly, a real, wooden, quality violin in a black case, along with a music stand and some beginners sheet music. Naruto's eyes had almost popped from their sockets, as he wondered as always where little Shih put it all.

Afterwards, Naruto spent some time of his training every other day in the special forest clearing either trying to play out a riff or melody, or trying to reach and hold the notes in some sheet music that had been stored in the books on singing Shih brought home. Surprisingly, Naruto also proved to be a prodigy at both of these ventures, and soon could play basic songs with ease and had started working on more complicated pieces.

His singing had gotten good as well. He was a very high tenor, and didn't yet have the breath and sound for really impressive songs, but he still sounded like a little angel when he sang the small songs he had to work with. The books had even helped him to name the three lantern heartless when names had eluded him.

As Naruto continued to quickly run at what shinobi standards would classify as mid-genin speed after Shih (A.N.: Heh, bet it's been so long you all forgot by now that's how this chapter started!), Naruto started to laugh. It was a loud belly laugh, for after all how could he not feel happy?

He was slowly getting stronger every day in physical strength and darkness, and chakra would follow when he understood enough; the number of Heartless, and the types he controlled, were growing; he had found wonderfully kind people who he saw almost every day for meals, who just accepted him for being Naruto; he was becoming talented musically, which helped bring him very peaceful moments and seemed to sharpen his concentration. (A.N.: If anyone wonders why I'm making him musical, it'll be very apparent-and kawaii- in later chapters.)

And here he was now, chasing Shih in the woods and feeling happy, genuinely happy, and nothing was ruining his good time. He only wished to have some human friends there, as a lack of any was a constant reminder to him how ostracized he was. But the Heartless supported Naruto, and while they couldn't talk, and while only Shih seemed to be retaining a personality, Naruto was happy for their company, and their provided escape from loneliness.

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Naruto was growing up.

He was slowly coming of age.

And his coming of age…was a lonely…but glorious thing.

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It was during this fun little romp in Konoha's forest that Naruto met someone who would help shape the direction of his life, and vice versa. No, it wasn't some random missing-nin no one had ever heard of before. No it wasn't Orochimaru or some random villain, nor Tsunade or some random do-gooder. And it certainly wasn't someone from another universe. No, here in Konoha forest, Naruto met a young lad his age, one from Konoha, who was spending his time attacking at wooden training post methodically.

He was a young boy a little taller than Naruto, and maybe a year or two older. One with black hair in a bowl cut, and a small ponytail reaching down to his upper back. A boy wearing brown pants, blue shinobi sandals, and a light green training jacket. A boy whose face was screwed up in concentration while looking at the log that he just kept on punching rhythmically. He was a boy with eyebrows so large, Naruto had at first thought two hairy caterpillars had latched into his face, and a very young yet determined face.

In a word, he was Lee Rock.

"I'll show them. I can be a great ninja. I just have to work hard enough at it!" Lee continued punching the post, ignoring how his hands we're starting to get raw, or how he was starting to get tired. The only thing he could think about was showing them all up by getting better, by proving he didn't need ninjutsu genjutsu. And so what if his taijutsu wasn't that good? He could get better…he **had** to.

All of that laughing…it wasn't right. If they just stopped calling him that… hot-blooded. What kind of insult was that? Yet it stung, reminding him that despite close to a year of trying and hard work despite all his failures, he had made zero headway into ninjutsu or genjutsu, and his taijutsu wasn't getting better fast enough. Yet he kept trying, and looked like a fool with each failure.

And those results had of late begun to depress him.

Naruto moved behind a tree, watching the boy continue to punch and punch like no tomorrow. He couldn't recognize the boy, and had never seen him before…but it didn't matter. His parents had probably told him about Naruto, just like all the other adults had.

_**(Flashback 1 year…)**_

Naruto look at the steps exiting the park, watching the kids who he had almost been friends with. His hopes had been so high. Some of the other kids had almost seemed like they wanted to really be friends with him.

Shikamaru…

Chouji…

Shino…

Kiba…

They'd had such a good time that day. Playing tag, hide and seek, just being little kids and having fun. Naruto had felt like he belonged.

Then their parents had come.

The moment they saw Naruto, they ushered their children away. And whether or not it was deliberate, he heard the whispered comments.

"Son, I want you to stay away from that boy…"

"He's nothing but trouble…"

"He's not worth being around or knowing…"

"A troublemaker and a loser…"

Naruto could only watch their backs, eyes misting over, wondering why they said mean things about him like that.

Why they had taken what might have been his first friends.

From then on, when he went to the park, they had quietly ignored him.

So he just kept away and played alone.

Like he always had done…

**(Present Time…)**

Naruto sighed inwardly. To talk to this kid would just be getting his hopes up. Naruto didn't feel like having his heart hurt, especially considering if he got to depressed, the darkness might hurt someone if fueled by his sorrow.

But as he turned to leave, Shih did something unexpected. He pushed Naruto out into the small clearing, and then crouched in the bushes to watch. And while Naruto was able to keep his balance easily, the noise from the bushes being pushed aside was more than loud enough to capture Lee's attention. Lee turned towards Naruto, already taking a partially sloppy version of the basic academy stance, but relaxed and smiled when he saw Naruto.

"Oh, hello. My apologies. For a moment I thought you were one of my classmates coming to spy on me." He bowed, still carrying that cheery smile. "My name is Lee Rock. And you are?"

"Err…" Naruto was at a loss at what to say. Understandable really. For one thing, now that he looked closely, the older boy's eyebrows actually seemed alive. No, really, like two freakin' caterpillars on his head. He would have said something if it wouldn't have been a rude thing to do.

But more than that…Naruto looked at the smile on Lee's face, and was haunted by it. It was so familiar.

And then Naruto placed it.

It was his smile. One he had to wear so much…it was amazing to see it on another person. He wondered if it really looked like that on him.

But it was more than that. Being talented in using that mask, Naruto was able to look at Lee's eyes…and in them he saw pain. Nothing like his own, but pain nonetheless.

Naruto would have asked Lee about it…but he had wanted to keep others out of his own problems and suffering. How could he, in good conscience, pry into another unfortunate soul?

Naruto realized also that this kid probably had been told to stay away from Naruto, and the fact that he hadn't been recognized meant simply that Lee had temporarily forgotten how to identify "that boy". He could lie…but Naruto realized sooner or later someone would remind him about Naruto, and Teuchi had been a one in a million person to like him. With a saddened heart, Naruto put on a partly cheery smile, and prepared for a routine that had repeated itself many times over.

"Hello. My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

Here it was. The inevitable. The frown, the chasing, the kicking, the ignoring, the-

"Hello Naruto!"

…

…

…

…the smiling, the warm greeting with the waving. Naruto barely kept a straight face, wondering if this might be a trap.

"Um…hey Lee. So, what's got you so mad at the post there?"

Lee immediately took a look of satisfaction on his face. "Ah yes, you saw how hard I was training? Because I'm one of the few unadopted orphans left in the village, the Hokage has allowed me to begin the academy 3 years early. Even though no one has before, and the chance is slim, I'm hoping I'll graduate this year, and prove to everyone how good I am by doing something so incredible."

Naruto got excited. If this guy was in the academy, he could find out what kind of stuff they learned! "Wow, so you must know some jutsu, right? Can you show me? I'm starting early next year too!"

"Uh…" Damn it. Of all the time for Lee to get himself caught, this wasn't a good time. Bad enough his whole class teased him for his failure at ninjutsu and genjutsu; now a kid a year younger, not even in the academy would laugh at him!

"Are you sure?" Lee asked nervously. "They just teach us basic stuff, not very big ones. It's just the kawamiri, transformation, and bushin jutsu, nothing special-"

"Cloning! Body Replacement! Those sound awesome! Show me show me!" Naruto had actually seen the three be briefly mentioned in the few books on chakra or shinobi that he'd read, but had never seen them or gotten a good understanding in how they worked. Here was his chance!

"I…ok, well, just kawamiri then." Lee nervously put his hands together, and tried to will his chakra into it as he'd always done.

_Work…Please work…don't fail now, for once just let me do it…_

But after a minute, Naruto began to frown in confusion. He was pretty sure, at least from the name, that the jutsu made people switch places with something else…yet Lee was still standing here. He hadn't moved an inch.

"Um…Lee?" Naruto stared as Lee gritted his teeth, so hard it looked like they might shatter. Sweat started to drip from the concentration Lee had. Lee couldn't feel his chakra…but he did feel something else. Despair. Never had it felt so strong, and after all this time, all the work, and pushing himself, it wasn't working. Even away from his teachers, his classmates, alone in a forest with just one kid who couldn't say he could do it, Lee still failed. The jeers and taunts of the other kids rang in his head, mocking him, stripping away his pride, his confidence. This final failure had been too much. Lee fell to his knees, his arms clutched around himself. Tears streamed from his face, falling to the floor as if his dreams were falling from him after this crushing defeat.

Naruto could only stare. He imagined this would be what he would have looked like had he ever really let himself cry a lot when he was younger. But having never been comforted except the time he technically comforted himself, Naruto had no idea what to do here. Though as he thought about it, he had to say something. This was his chance to do for someone what no one had done for him. But as he opened his mouth, ready to say anything to break up his tension, anything to try and help, Lee started speaking. Whether to himself or to Naruto or to no one at all, Lee started to sobbingly speak.

"Every t-time…every time I try this, I fail. I just can't d-do it. I can't do ninjutsu, I can't do g-genjutsu, and my taijutsu is t-terrible. Everyone else in class, they call me hot-blooded, because after failing so much, I just keep trying. I thought that, if I tried hard enough, I could eventually get better. But I failed! I fail and fail and fail, but here I am, s-still trying, as if I could get better." Lee looked up to Naruto, seeming hopelessness in his eyes and face. "W-why Naruto? Why should I even bother still trying?"

Naruto didn't say a word. Didn't move, didn't speak. Lee was obviously hurting in a way that he couldn't understand. Yet Lee was asking Naruto, a child younger than him, to comfort him on the seemingly impossible position of his life, like he was an experienced adult or something. Naruto didn't know exactly how to help here. He took a few tentative steps toward Lee, and placed a hand softly onto his shoulder. He opened his mouth, and the words that followed seemed to come from nowhere.

"Well…yeah, it must seem hard. I mean, I can't imagine how much you're struggling, or for what reason you can't get that stuff to work for you. But…if you let it beat you, and you don't stand back up, then how can you ever stand up to adversity in your life? How will you ever accomplish anything?" At this, Lee looked, up, the younger boy's words breaking through his cloud of despair like a burst of sunlight. "I'd like to think that, you can't judge yourself and how strong you are by how hard you knock someone down…but whether or not you get back up when they knock you down…err, is that making any sense?" Naruto rubbed his head in embarrassment. He believed what he said, yes, but he'd had no idea how he had strung it all together, or if it even made sense to Lee.

However, luck was on the little guy's side that day. As Naruto finished his little improv pep talk, Lee slowly stood, wiped away his tears, and gave a small smile down to Naruto

"Yes…I think I know what you mean. I try so hard at the academy…but if I just give up, if I forget my own confidence and let failure and despair get to me, all my work to achieve what I want there will have been for nothing." He started grinning, and looked happier, truly happier, than Naruto had seen him before. "If I can't do ninjutsu or genjutsu at all, then I'll just work solely on taijutsu! I'll become so good, they'll have to let me become a shinobi!"

He then pulled Naruto over and latched on in a tight hug. ((A.N.: It's a man hug! No yaoi, I'm not good at writing it!)) ""Thank you Naruto! Thank you for helping me get back up!"

Naruto chuckled, and tentatively hugged back. Besides the creepy hugging, Lee seemed like a nice guy. He was someone that, in a way, Naruto could relate too. Both had to work hard against something that got in the way of what they wanted.

A flash of hope went through Naruto. If he could get close enough to this guy, before he was turned against Naruto, then maybe…just maybe-

But it was not to be that easy. For just then Shih, having hid in the bushes this whole time emerged, chasing a small butterfly. ((A.N.: Kawaii, huh? 3)) The little thing then flew higher, escaping Shih's gentle touch, but unfortunately Lee saw him. Really, how can you not notice a pitch black…thing walking out into plain sight? Unfortunately, since Lee had never seen anything like it, the usual flight-or-fight response of humanity took over, and he dashed in front of Naruto.

"Naruto run! I'll try to hold it off."

"But-"

"Please, you're my first real friend, and my best friend at that. I won't let you get hurt!"

Naruto blanked for a moment. He had hoped that there was a chance he might become Lee's friend…but here, Lee was not just saying he was Naruto's friend…he was willing to die for him.

"Lee…"

With that, Lee ran forward, intent on at least giving himself up so that Naruto could run and get help. He reared his fast back, and threw a right hook at the creature.

Unfortunately for Lee, it somehow ducked under the attack, and flattened itself to the ground. While Lee stood shocked, the black creature slid along the ground quickly, standing again in front of Naruto before he had finished turning. He opened his mouth to cry out as the creature jumped-

Into the waiting arms of Naruto, who hugged him tightly like an old friend. The scene would have been perfect- had it not caused Lee to anime-style fall to the dirt. He slowly got to his feet, and stared in confusion at the scene. "Naruto what in the world-"

Naruto set Shih down, and then turned to face Lee with a grim but determined look. He had no choice now. He might as well tell Lee the truth, or he might go and tell others in Konoha, and it would be blown even more out of proportion. It was early, far too early to let anyone know, but maybe explaining to Lee, then begging or bribing him might buy him some time… well, more then he would have gotten anyway. He sighed.

"Lee…sit down. I need to explain a lot to you" The three took a seat on the soft ground. "It started 8 years ago when I was born…"

((A.N.: Sorry, I might type the explaining out for Hinata whenever she comes in cause of the cuteness and the romance factor, but I don't like typing what we've all seen again and again in stories, and the only difference here is he explains basically where the darkness comes from and what Shih is. Sorry for any inconvenience and/or disappointment.)

"…So, that's everything." They sat cross-legged, Naruto cuddling Shih tightly to his chest. Across from him, Lee's face was one of surprise, wonder and shock over everything he'd just heard-painful parts of Naruto's childhood, Kyuubi, the darkness, the Heartless, Naruto's thievery from the library…everything. Lee didn't move, didn't speak, and just stared ahead as if frozen in time. Naruto sighed. There was no way Lee could accept all of this, and he felt like a fool for ever thinking Lee would.

Naruto sighed and looked over to Lee. He got on his knees and bowed down in a display of begging and willingness to put himself at Lee's mercy. "Lee, all I ask is that, before you tell everyone about this, you give me some time to get ready and leave. Just an hour, and then I'll be gone. I'll give you what you want, just please give me time."

There we many ways one can respond in the situation like this. Lee could have attacked Naruto. He could have immediately run to rat Naruto out, or he could have even asked for something over-the-top as a bribe. He could have done any of these or more. Instead, after listening to Naruto's honest, pleading beg for some mercy time, Lee did only one thing, and it was probably the best thing to do right then.

He sweat-dropped.

"Um…why would I tell anyone?"

Naruto looked up in shock. Just utter, inconceivable shock. He had just told Lee everything. Hell, Lee had seen one of the Heartless…and he was willing to keep Naruto's secret? For nothing in return?

Lee saw the confusion and shock on Naruto's face and smiled. "If Shih seemed dangerous, or if you did, and Konoha seemed in trouble, I would have run long ago and told the first person I saw. But…" Lee stood and walked over to Naruto, and took his hands to bring him to his feet. "You aren't dangerous. You're not a demon, you're not dangerous, and neither is Shih. I can tell. There's no point in fearing something I know won't hurt me. Besides," And at this, Lee held up his thumb in what would someday be classified as the "nice-guy" pose. "How could I do something that would hurt my best friend?"

Naruto could only hear those last few words echo over and over in his head. Lee had accepted him. But it was more than what Teuchi and Ayame had done. Lee knew everything about the truth…and he didn't care he considered Naruto an actual friend…a best friend.

For a while, a small part of Naruto had begun to think that he was fooling himself about people ever accepting his darkness, or the Heartless. It seemed a crazy, impossible idea. But here in front of him, was someone his own age. And Lee hadn't run, hadn't cursed or spit or attacked Naruto… Lee accepted Naruto's trust, and was honoring it. Naruto, his eyes brimming with slowly shed tears, wrapped Lee in another tight hug, his head dug into Lee's shoulders and he cried in relief and joy.

Lee looked shocked for a second, then smiled and hugged back. After hearing Naruto's story, he could tell while both knew the pain of loneliness, having a friend meant more to Naruto than it ever could for him.

"Lee…I feel so…happy? Is this what having a friend feels like?"

"I guess…whatever it is, I hope it doesn't stop."

After another minute of man hugging (A.N.: Heh, that phrase always sounds weird to me, no matter how it's used.), the two of them sat down to relax and talk, swapping the few funny stories they had. Lee also told Naruto a bit about the academy and how it was run, as well as some of the basic stuff they learned so far.

"It all sounds great," exclaimed Naruto. "But knowing the people we live with, I'll get it harder than anyone else at the academy. Stupid fox ruined everything for me."

Lee smiled sadly. "That is true. If only you could show them the darkness, like you did for me," Lee looked back at a small tree, lying on its side where Naruto's darkness-powered punch had felled it. "That would really be something to show."

Naruto nodded in agreement, and then started a control exercise for the darkness. A small amount poured from his hands, and at his control and thought started twisting around his hands in intricate shapes, an art in itself. Lee looked on, still amazed at the strange power before him. He was still partially amazed that darkness, something that in stories told at his orphanage was always evil, seemed good…or at least unless Naruto was feeling angry.

"It really is incredible. To think, a power like this comes from a heart, and yet despite its look is genuinely harmless…" On what impulse Lee next acted, he never would understand. All he knew was without realizing it, he had reached out, his fingers moving to the darkness.

Naruto's eyed widened. He didn't want Lee touching it, since he didn't know what might happen, no matter how calm the darkness was. No one else had ever touched the darkness. No one but his attackers that on night, and Kyuubi, and they had-

"Lee! No!"But it was too late. Lee's fingers came into contact with the darkness. It immediately surged forward, absorbing into Lee's skin. He backed, staring down at fingers, wondering what had just happened to him.

"Lee! I'm sorry! Please don't move, I'll try to get it out before-"

But before Naruto could continue his panicked rant, Lee held up a hand to his face. "Naruto, please, I'm fine. In fact…" Lee stood, and looked himself over, a grin slowly forming on his young face. "I've never felt better."

"R-really?"

"Yeah." Lee then threw a few kicks and punches forward, his grin growing. "They feel a bit faster than before, and stronger." He smiled, before his grin lessened slightly. "I can feel the darkness, but I can't move it either. It's kind of spread out in my body. I can't really control it. A shame really," Lee sighed. "It would be amazing to use this in a fight."

Nodding in agreement, Naruto started thinking on that. It seemed that he could…transplant darkness into people, and not only was it seemingly harmless so far, it could make them stronger. Yet Lee was right; to be really effective, one had to be able to control it. Lee would need something to focus it, like a magnifying lens. Some kind of focal point, like a seal or something-

At that word, Naruto's brain lit up like a light bulb, and soon his face was grinning to match. Lee looked a bit worried' that smirk had come out of nowhere, and looked a bit evil; the kind of evil where it's not bad, but you may not like what's about to happen. "Naruto, what is it?"

Naruto grinned more, amaze he had never thought of it before. It was so simple. "Lee, take off your shirt."

"N-nani?"

"Come on, just do it. Trust me."

Thinking this was a weird way to begin trusting his first best friend, Lee cautiously removed his shirt. Naruto immediately noticed that Lee was also fit for his age, and that while he may not yet have become proficient in taijutsu, if he kept working hard, he was going to be pretty fit by the time he became a genin. Naruto grinned, then motioned to his own shirt; specifically, to the emblem on the left breast, over his heart. "Lee, remember how I told you about the emblem for the Heartless and me? Our symbol and the jutsu I use to make it? Well…I'm going to do something different here. Whatever happens, just trust me, ok?" Not liking the 'whatever happens' part, Lee nodded his head nervously, set on proving his trust and friendship with Naruto.

Naruto then grinned, and held up his finger for the technique…but this time it would be different. He concentrated his darkness, and then called out something different-

"**Darkness Style: Heartless Seal**." The heart formed again, but now it looked brighter, and fuller than what Naruto had described. He then reached out, pressing his finger and the floating outline into the area over Lee's heart.

Whatever Lee had been expecting, the warmth that permeated his body wasn't it. He could feel the darkness flowing through him as before…but now, it was as if somehow it was flowing even more smoothly, and focused even better. Lee stood slowly, taking a few punches to test the feel out.

Naruto stood and grinned at the still confused Lee. "Nice huh? It's the same design as the emblem, but it isn't just for show now. It regulates the darkness flowing through your body by connecting to your heart…well, your 'heart' heart if you get what I'm saying. It won't just make the darkness flow more smoothly, but you should be able to concentrate it. Go on, give it a try."

Lee nodded, and tried to will the darkness into his right hand. Immediately, he felt the power leave his body, rushing to focus on said area- and lo, the darkness formed the same kind of power glove that it had for Naruto. Nowhere as strong as Naruto's considering how little darkness Naruto had added into the seal, but still Lee could feel the power in his hand…it was incredible. Lee took a punch at the nearby training post…and sweat-dropped as his fist left a small crater in it. His expression twisted into one of shock and awe.

"A-amazing! I could never hit that hard before!" As Lee stared at the result, Naruto focused darkness to his eyes. He looked at Lee, and sighed as he saw the darkness was flowing normally. He then looked at Lee's heart, and whistled in surprise. "Wow…that's a nice bonus…don't get how it happened though."

Lee turned to Naruto. "I-is something wrong? Am I ok Naruto?" Naruto nodded, and started to explain. Apparently, the contact with the darkness had affected Lee's heart-somehow; it had started producing darkness of its own. Nowhere near what Naruto's heart produced, but still amazing in its own right. Naruto assumed that because Lee had felt strain and pain in his own heart, it had made Lee's heart strong enough to produce darkness. That, coupled with exposure to the seal, had turned Lee's heart into another darkness producer like Naruto's.

Naruto grinned in excitement. "This is perfect. I figured that I'd have to keep pushing darkness into the seal to recharge you every time you used it all, but now you can do it yourself, and the more you use, the more the seal will work, which means your capacity will probably increase too. I wonder though, if I try to go over the limit…" Naruto then let a small stream of darkness flow from his finger to Lee. At first Lee felt the darkness accumulating in his body…but then, he started to feel a pain in his chest. Just around the area of his heart. And as Naruto went on, it only got worse, till it felt like his chest…no, his heart was on fire.

"Naruto stop!" Naruto did, pulling back with worry about his new friend. Lee, still with a strained look on his face, forced all the darkness into his hand, and punched the training post hard, and the force was so great this time it snapped the already dented post in half, collapsing it over. Lee fell to a knee, panting. "It…it hurt so badly. I felt like my heart was going to explode any second."

Naruto hmmed. "Well, I guess there's a limit on how much your heart and the seal can take at once. Like how a table can only take so much weight before it collapses. You probably, should work on using only what the seal allows you, or it might collapse your heart."

Lee nodded, then stood and looked up at the sky. "Hmm…the sun's moved a lot since I came here. I probably should get back to the orphanage before they wonder where I am." He turned, started to run off, and then stopped, turning back to Naruto and Shih. "Um…do you want to meet again tomorrow? I could show you some non-jutsu stuff they teach us there and maybe we could do some other stuff-"

Before Lee had finished speaking, Naruto interrupted him, and spoke with a broad smile on his face. "Of course I want to hang with you again. That's what friends do…right?"

Lee smiled, having to gulp so tears wouldn't start to form. "Yeah…friends."

Naruto smiled and watched as Lee ran off, leaving Naruto and Shih standing in the clearing. Had a metaphorical person watched this moment, seeing Naruto's sunny personality and Lee's rock hard determination, one might have compared it to the earth as parts of it turn away from the sun. Yet, as the earth turns back to the sun, Lee would surely meet with Naruto once again…and again… and again…

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About a month later, Naruto and Lee could have been seen in their small clearing with Shih, except no one had ever found them there. Naruto and Lee had, over that time, become very close friends, and also sparring partners. Lee had shown Naruto some very basic taijutsu, and while Naruto wasn't at Lee's level yet-which wasn't saying much- he was getting better. Although in Lee's defense, the boost of confidence Naruto gave him, plus their connection as friends, had inspired and uplifted him, and Lee had really improved over time, especially when he put everything into melee combat. While they practiced, Shih ran around, chasing the same butterfly, catching it, and then letting it go to start again.

Today, this happy scene was interrupted, when a rustle of bushes being pushed aside caused them all to turn. Immediately, Lee got into a fighting stance, determined not to let the intruder escape and tell about any of what they saw, and to protect his friend's secret. He growled, crying out, "Who are you?"

Shih simply stood there, obviously expressionless, though his head tilted, as if in curiosity.

Naruto…Naruto could only stand there, a small blush creeping into his cheeks. Before him stood a young girl, about his age and a few inches shorter. She was dressed in long blue pants, and a pale white shirt, almost as pale as her snow white skin. The clothes looked nice, as in expensive nice. Her dark, short blue hair framed her face, not even reaching her shoulders. She looked small, yet toned, like she worked out as the two of them did. He face was soft-featured, and carried an air of what some might call perpetual innocence. And her eyes…Naruto thought she was blind, then saw in them the barest shade of lavender, and that her eyes were…were… well, beautiful.

Naruto's cheeks flamed a bit more. He thought Lee had hit him too hard and killed him… how else could he be looking at an angel?

The 'angels' cheeks flamed like Naruto's, and her index fingers moved to push against each other nervously. She looked up at them timidly, and in a meek-and to Naruto beautiful-voice, replied.

"H-hello. My name is H-Hinata Hyuga."

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_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: Man, th__at__ Hinata seems like a nice person… (Blush__es__) and cute too._

_Naruto: But there's something about her…like she's having trouble…__being there_

_Naruto: That...that's the white flash from the memory I saw. What __is it_

_Next time: __**Power to rival Darkness. Reach for her shattered soul Naruto!**_

_Naruto: Wait…this power…it's incredible…_

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Wow. I mean wow. It too so damn long, I was worried I might require hiatus. But I finally found time, and overcame writer's block, and here it is.

Really sorry. Making up Lee before Guy got to him was a bitch. I made something out of nothing here, and it was hard work. But things are going well, and next up- Hinata joins the story! The next chapter will probably be the last before I do a time skip to when they graduate, or at least when Naruto and Hinata do.

Please review. I know it was a long time, but I reeeealy need positive and negative criticism. And don't forget to vote on Shino's eyes- I'm just too divided on it.

Well, now I've got to start creating what happens next time. Hopefully without summer in the way it'll be easier, but…well. Hope I get it out to you soon.

Ja ne!


	5. Power to Rival Darkness

_**IMPORTANT! READ EVERYTHING BEFORE THE STORY STARTS!!!!!**__** AND AFTER IT ENDS TOO!!!!!**_

**WOW**… I mean really, wow. I have to tell you all, up until I posted chapter four, I was hesitant about this. I have a lot of fun writing this story, no doubt. But like any author, we like getting feedback on our work, in this case reviews and private messages. And so far the amount of reviews I'd gotten were few and far in-between. It was kind of depressing. I was actually gonna consider if I wanted to keep going after this chapter.

But you guys… (Sheds incredibly fake tear) You seem to love my new work, and all of the things I've done with chapter four, because the reviews just started pouring in. Not only that, but I've gotten story alerts, a ton of favorite story alerts…Hell, I've even gotten one or two favorite author notices for fuck's sake!

You all have revived the author's spirit in me, and make me want to keep working. But please, don't stop reviewing. The more the better. I want to know what you think. Don't just review one chapter, keep em coming. Though please, I seriously need good or bad criticism. A review that just says literally nothing but "Dude that was awesome. Next chappie plz. 3" is uplifting, but doesn't help me improve myself too much.

I still need votes for Shino's eyes. If the tally is too close between all the reviews and private messages I've got, I'll have to choose on my own.

**Tally**

Shino has no eyes: 5

Shino has insectoid eyes: 5

**NEWS FLASH!**

I still have the option open for you all to suggest cameo appearances of characters from other anime shows or video games. Kingdom Hearts characters, and Naruto characters seen much later on do NOT count! I plan to possibly take a weapon from KHII, but that's it at the most. The few most interesting ones will be used. Keep in mind you must give a GOOD THOUGHT-OUT reason for their appearance, and what they are doing there, as any cameo characters will most likely only last the chapter they appear in. I already have one picked, but want a few more. You also must give a thought-out reason on how they are in Naruto world.

Oh and sorry this took a while. Once again, I had to rethink how to make a character act, though Hinata is much easier than Lee. Still, this was tricky, and took longer than I would have hoped. I also didn't know if I wanted to start where I left off, or describe the meeting and dive into their interaction and growth afterwards.

And I **KNOW** that the students in the show spend a few years in the academy…but for the sake of my story, the rookie nine don't start till Naruto is 12, and team Gai (minus Lee, who's also starting early) doesn't start till a year before that. So Naruto will fail the academy 3 times before he turns 12 and is in the same class as Sasuke, Shino, Shikamaru, Chouji, ect. Same for Lee: when he turns 12, he'll have failed 3 times and will then be in the same class as Neji and Tenten when he graduates.

One last thing. I am looking for two other things. One is omakes, like in the incredible story "Key to the Heart". I like the idea, and would post any well written omake. The second… concerns Shih. While he will participate in fights in this story, for the moment he's just being convenient…and amazingly cute. Any fun ideas on how he could do more kawaii stuff might be interesting. I know that sounds weird, but I'm betting considering what I've had Shih do so far, there are some people shouting kawaii right now. Help keep the cuteness alive…before he kills something. X3 Oh and Shih IS a he, meaning he won't turn out to Rin, or Naruto's mother…or the 4th, while we're at it. Sorry to the hopes I've crushed. I will at some point reveal who he used to be...and when I do, and because of the way I'll do it, your heart strings will twang.

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter ****Five**

Power to rival Darkness. Reach for her shattered soul Naruto!

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It was a very warm and sunny day. Much like most of the year for Konoha, showing as always why the region was aptly named "Fire Country". A light breeze rustled within the leaves of the forest canopy, and upon it flew a small family of sparrows, searching for a midday meal. If one were to ascend to the top of the thick, leafy forest canopy, in the highest of the trees, some of which were over 400 feet tall, they could see far across the surrounding area-if their eyesight was good enough, they could even see where the border with Wind Country began. To another side lay the Hidden Leaf Village. And to the rest, a seemingly endless forest, made up of either regular woods or the infamous "Forest of Death". The trees moved to the horizon, green Mother Earth racing to the border to touch blue Father Sky.

Truly, the landscape around Konoha was beautiful.

However, in a small clearing, the beauty of the land around them was the last thing on the minds of 4 humans…well, three humans and a Heartless anyway.

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Lee's mind was busy making a quick analysis of the intruder, this Hinata girl. After all of Naruto and Shih's kindness, and how much they had helped him to grow, he wasn't about to let anyone ruin his first, best, and only real friendship. Although, as he held his stance, ready at any moment to attack, he wondered if force would even be necessary. The girl before them seemed to be shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, and was pushing her fingers together in a shy and very timid manner, a nervous blush adorning her face. Lee started thinking maybe all they had to do was ask Hinata nicely-it seemed as if she would faint if they even moved towards her.

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Hinata stared ahead, worried what the two of them might do to her. She felt so stupid; she just _had_ to make for the woods. It made no sense in her mind. Always before, when her father had expressed his disappointment in her skill-and though he mentioned it less, her lack of any real worth- or had physically punished her, which he liked to call _training_, Hinata had simply taken to her room-and there, where she knew she wouldn't be disturbed till dinner, she had poured her tears and sorrow into her pillow, trying to find some shred of self-worth. Each time it became harder.

But today, she had waited till her father had left the training area in the back of the clan's mansion, and then taken off for the woods, tears trailing behind her. For some reason she wanted to be as far from there as possible…and as strange as it seemed, it felt like something was calling to her somehow. All Hinata knew was her need to get away. Away from the looks of her father, cousin, and sister-disappointment and hate, loathing, and smug superiority. Away from the Main house looking at her like a sickness. Away from the branch House, working in quiet servitude. Who, when she smiled at them and tried to treat them with the respect denied them by the Main House, only paused to smile back sadly, and then went back to work, afraid someone would see it and punish them.

Her family…her clan…she felt like it was an insane prison. One of hate, loathing, jealousy, and pain.

She thought the woods would provide her with solitude and some desperate measure of escape, for indeed after some minutes of running her tears stopped. Instead, she had found these two boys sparring, and hidden in the bushes out of curiosity to watch them. The first one she had noticed was the one in shorts and training jacket. He looked nice enough, and seemed to be a bit better at taijutsu in the match. Aside from the eyebrows-which she had at first assumed to be alive- he seemed ok.

The second…she'd felt her cheeks flush, an action usually reserved only for when she felt shame in front of other members of her family or clan. Granted, she therefore felt that a lot…but this was different. The red in her cheeks seemed to remain as she started at the second boy. At his bright, blonde, almost golden hair. At his deep, rich cerulean eyes. And his face...she had once seen pictures of a blonde angel in a book. A blonde, very handsome man with wings sprouting from his back. Right then, she believed that angel must have had a face like this when it was younger.

She'd hidden within the bushes to watch them. And as they went on two things became clear. One, they both seemed to have large amounts of stamina, for they didn't seem to tire even for a second.

The second interested her much more. The blonde boy, while he was every now and then knocked down by the older boy he sparred with, kept continuing to get back up like it was nothing and keep fighting. It amazed and practically stupefied her. He failed every now and then, to defend himself or attack…yet he continued to fight on. Such determination, such strength, such will…she blushed again, wishing she could have the kind of confidence this boy seemed to radiate. Wishing that she, unlike him, wasn't a complete failure.

She didn't understand the how, or the why. It wasn't even a conscious decision. However, she understood the what-that suddenly, she had parted her leafy cover and stepped into the clearing. It was only as the spar stopped, and the two of them turned to face her, that she realized what she had done. She pressed her fingers together nervously, giving her name when the first boy asked. People in the village always gave her last name such respect…she prayed in her head it would keep them from attacking her, as the older boy had taken a stance, and was looking at her with apprehension. The blonde was just standing there, staring at her, though Hinata hadn't seen the small blush in his cheeks. She also barely registered a black shape in the corner of her eye, but disregarded it. She waited, teetering on the edge of nervousness, timidity, and panic.

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Shih cocked his head at the newcomer, and then looked back to the butterfly, contemplating chasing after it again.

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For some time thereafter, Naruto wouldn't be able to understand how his head hadn't burst into flames. The blush in cheeks felt like any second his head would alight and send his hair burning like timber. It was nothing compared to the girls, but he could feel it in his face. He couldn't help it though. This girl…somehow, looking at her made him feel like his stomach had dropped out of him. She was…cute. No other word was better at the time. Angelic maybe…but cute was at the forefront.

That nervous looks on her face… he could see some pain in it, in her moon-like eyes. Not as much as his; maybe similar to Lee's. But something about it made him just want to run over and hug her tightly, as Lee had done to him once, and chase all of her fear and pain away. He'd never felt like this for anyone-not even Lee, his first and best friend.

Her eyes…jeez, he just couldn't stop looking into them. Each one reminded him of a full moon-round, pale, and containing its own inner beauty. Straining his mind a bit, he remembered seeing eyes like that on people walking through the village every now and then. But while all of their eyes had seemed cold, or distant, Hinata's eyes seemed warm and inviting… and looking even closer (and thank Kami she didn't notice, or he'd have blushed even more), he saw they weren't the same cold pale color, but had a light tint of color to them…lavender if remembered it right from a picture in a shop window.

To his side, he could practically feel the tension coming off Lee. While a small part of him wondered how Lee wasn't losing his cool like Naruto, he could tell his friend was nervous about Hinata having discovered their training spot. And Naruto felt the same. She didn't seem to have noticed Shih yet, strangely enough. If he knew better, he would have sworn she was gazing right at him. For some reason unknown to him, this thought made his stomach and head feel warm and fuzzy. Was he sick?

Naruto just stood there though. Waiting for Hinata to say something, or Lee. To break the gaze he had on this girl, who had given him this unknown feeling he couldn't describe, who'd made his heart almost seem to flutter…

((A.N.: Ok, look. Naruto is 8. I don't think he understands a crush, much less love. And since he's never had parents or any real precious people before besides Sarutobi, no one's ever explained the concept of love. Naruto isn't there yet…will be, but not this moment.))

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And above them, a lone crane, a species of bird unheard of to the region, floated above, buffeted by the afternoon breezes, the lone witness to this meeting. It banked around, its shadow crossing over the trees as it regarded the four figures below. The bird's eyes swept over the small boy with ebony hair, then the girl in white, and even the black creature it knew to be a Heartless. ((A.N.: Will be explained later.) It paused for a moment, its eyes focusing intently-as if peering into his soul- on the one with that blonde hair, spun as if from bright gold. And those eyes…those eyes…

Suddenly, without warning, the crane banked and took off, flapping in a random direction to a destination unknown. But as it left, the winds blew strongly for a moment, an action unnoticed by the four beings on the ground, covered by the foliage. If one of them, or any human, could listen to and understand the language of the wind, they might have heard words spun on the breeze, as if released from the mind of the crane itself as it flew off towards the clouds…

_Amazing. Such darkness in such a small child. Yet __in all my travels, in all the worlds, __I have never heard of an adult that held the darkness with such a pure heart, much less a child…_

…_Th__is boy__…__this __Naruto…__is it him? After all these __millennia__after this long life, __has one finally come t__hat is w__orthy of Liu Bei's__ legacy? Of Little Dragon's Weapon? Is my long wait finally over?_

_…_

_…_

_…__No. __Not yet. Not yet. He is not yet ready. Yet…he might be. One da__y, he may be ready for the trial, for the test I have planned__. And __if__ that day comes__…__I will be ready when it does__I have waited __thousands__ of years…__ hopefully __I can wait a few more__ at least_

_…What?_

_Oh, y__es old friend, I hope that our search may be over soon too…_

_Our__ work __may soon be finished. A__n__d then__ my old friend__…__ you and I…__can finally rest at last…_

((A.N.: If anyone figures out these references (both the characters and the weapon in question, and the game they come from), tell me in a private message who they are referring to. Guesses posted in reviews don't count. **PLEASE ****don't**** it in a private message, as putting it up in public in a review could spoil the surprise for those who don't get it. **The first to do so will have a cameo appearance of a character of their creation in a later chapter…it'll be a bandit leader that I'll use to showcase Naruto's skill, and will probably die in the chapter it's introduced in, but you get your character in the story for free, so that's good, right? Right?))

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"So…err, Hinata was it?" Lee winced as the girl jumped at his voice, her gaze turned to him, looking like a frightened lamb before a wolf. He had almost whispered, and she acted like he was screaming at her. So nervous…what the heck was her problem? "Look…this area, no one else knows about it. We'd appreciate it if you didn't go telling people, ok?"

Hinata jumped again, and then looked down, nervously poking her fingers together again, her head bowed. Lee was perplexed. It wasn't like he was holding a kunai to her neck. Was it possible someone could really be this timid?

Lee's musing was interrupted suddenly. Naruto, hoping to keep her quiet (and having finally brought his blush down so no one could really see it), made his way over to the girl, vaguely noticing how she seemed to get more nervous-and redder- the closer he got. He'd completely forgotten, in his desire to possibly make a second friend and to keep the spot a secret, that Shih was still visible.

"Hi. Nice to meet you Hinata. This is Lee Rock. He's a student over at the academy. So…you look like you practice, like we do. If you promise not to tell anyone about this place, you could train here with us. How does that sound?"

If not for his naiveté, and the fact he never had parents to teach him about reactions from other people, one might think Naruto a huge idiot for not noticing the girl's reaction to him. Hinata stared at the blonde with a mix of fear, nervousness, and what was officially the start of a crush. (Though she herself didn't know that yet.)

Hinata looked up slowly, her face still a nice crimson. "W-well, yes, I w-w-won't tell anyone about t-this p-p-place…" Hinata gulped, wishing she didn't sound like such a fool in front of them…especially Naruto. "B-but I don't see w-why you'd w-w-want to train with m-me."

Naruto, cocked his head, confused, and then turned to Lee, who only shrugged, just as mystified as his best friend at her words. Naruto turned back to her, smiling again. "Well, it's always good to have new sparring partners if they can get along, and we could even be good friends too. You could probably teach us a few things we don't know, and vice-versa." ((A.N.: I know he's 8. But he's been reading lately. So yes, he understands that term.))

Hinata stared back, incredulous. They wanted **her** to train with them? Hinata Hyuuga, who failed at every training exercise he father gave her? She, a disgrace to her father, the main branch, and her own clan? A weak, worthless, ugly little nothing like her?

Were they mocking her? What other explanation was there? God, were even outsiders just as cruel, mocking her with sarcastic praises of her skill, knowing full well how pathetic she was, how she was a talentless nobody to her family and to everyone around her?

This previous train of thought had at the beginning caused her to start breathing harder, nervous and heartbroken. By the end of it, Hinata had fallen to her knees, tears flowing from her eyes in shame, head clutched in her hands against her legs. For their part, Naruto and Lee stared-first at her, then each other, then back to her again. Neither understood how Naruto's words had driven her to such behavior. Naruto eased forward towards her, gently reaching out to grip her shoulder.

"Hina-"

"G-go away!" She slapped his hand away and went back to sobbing in her own self-pity. "I g-get it! I'm not good enough. I'm w-w-worthless. I'm n-nothing. J-just l-l-leave me alone and s-s-stop t-teasing m-m-me!"

Lee was flabbergasted. When had they insulted her? All Naruto did was ask her to train with them so they could keep the place a secret-a fine arrangement in his eyes. But somehow, this shy girl had apparently taken it as an insult and was falling apart before them.

Naruto looked at her, and felt himself frown. Her words…she really was hurting. In a different way than him, and a different degree…but somehow it sounded like the pain Lee used to feel. Of not being good enough, of being rejected for his failings…Naruto set his mouth in a serious grimace. Damn it, he'd broken Lee out of that funk, and he'd break Hinata-chan out of hers!

…Hinata-chan? Where the Hell did that come from? Naruto blushed lightly; glad Lee couldn't see, Naruto then knelt down, and did the only thing he'd ever seen comfort kids this sad…something he'd always wished would be done to him but never was. He did it now, so this girl could feel comfort where he'd had none.

He hugged her.

Hinata froze, an indescribable warmth coming over her. This boy… this boy with those kind, warm-and in the back of her mind, cute- eyes, he had wrapped his arms around her. In that one action, Hinata felt…strength somehow. Yes, that was what it was. Something she'd only felt before her mother died, when her kaa-san would grip her tightly into her chest and whisper soothing words, calming Hinata's nervous mind and heart. Yes, her mother Selenia had always made her feel this way, had always started with the same phrase-

"Why, why do you cry so?"

Hinata gasped silently. Those words, her mother's words…Naruto had spoken them, clear as day. In that act, she dug her face in to his shoulder, her tears staining his shirt; not able to see the small, quick, but fresh blush that sprung up on his face. Hinata looked up as it cleared, eyes filled with the smallest ray of comfort-but surrounded by so much pain and sadness. He cheeks shone from the dried tears, and her eyes were still watery.

"I…I'm just tired of it. F-father always t-t-tells me I'm a f-failure b-because I can't d-do any of h-h-his training r-right. M-my entire family, t-t-they all t-think I'm w-worthless. I j-just can't be g-good enough f-for t-t-them. A-and m-m-my cousin, N-Neji…h-he just keeps t-telling me to g-give up, t-to accept I'm a f-f-failure…and h-he's right." Hinata looked up to him, and for a second, both Naruto and Lee could almost see a similar scene…where Lee had knelt, also questioning his own worth. "W-why should I even t-t-try anymore, w-when I'm s-s- w-worthless?" And with that, Hinata once again dug her face into this kind boy's shoulders, tears soaking his shirt as she let it all out.

Naruto said nothing at first. He only held her tightly, waiting, listening to her heart-wracked sobbing. He just waited, calmly thinking on what to say to the little angel holding him back…Fighting off a small blush (_His_ Angel? Where did that come from?), he notice she finally had quieted to just a soft whimpering. He reached down, and gently lifted her chin, so that her lavender eyes were looking at his own Cerulean ones.

"Hinata…tell me. Do you think you're worthless?"

Her eyes widened. He…no…he…actually wanted to know what she thought? Did he mean to say he thought she might be right?

"W-well, my f-family says-" Her cheeks took on a light pink suddenly; understandable, considering Naruto had just placed a finger on her lips as if to shush her.

"No. No, Hinata. I didn't ask what your family thought. You told me that very clearly before." Naruto stared back, a calm but serious stare emanating from his eyes. "That's not what I asked. I want to know- do YOU think you're worthless?"

Hinata looked down, deep in her own thought. Never…never before had she even considered this. Always her father had acted as if he knew what was right and wrong…and he'd believed him. On everything he told her. He was her father; he couldn't be wrong could he? Yet in all that, Hinata realized she'd never considered her own thoughts on her worth, her progress. Was she really worthless? Not in her family's eyes, but her own?

"I…I don't know. I've always believed my family. I…I suppose they've always done that kind of thinking for me. But when I consider it for myself, I'm…not really sure."

Naruto hummed, tilting his head in thought; something that Hinata found rather adorable. He then tilted right ways, and looked back at her. "Well…in training, do you always try your hardest?"

"I…well…" Hinata looked down. This was too much. He was expecting so much of her…like her father. She lowered her head into her hands, feeling the pressure of everything that that days crash upon her.

This would eventually come to be known as a historic moment.

Naruto looked at the seemingly broken girl in his arms. She clearly lacked his self-confidence, or the drive Lee had. Something about her…was her heart weakened? Making sure her head was still down, Naruto activated what he had started calling Darkness Vision (Or DV…Man he really needed a much cooler name for that) and tried to peer at her heart. It seemed normal. Making sure she didn't feel it, he snaked a thin tendril of darkness into her, touching her heart. He was almost immediately disgusted as he gazed at memories of her family. Hate? A seal that screamed slavery? Such high expectations from a father, and such cruelty over failure? Was this what having a family would mean for Naruto and Lee? He prayed not.

However, it was as Naruto pulled out of Hinata's heart that he noticed…something else. A second object in her, separate from her glowing heart. It seemed a…yes…a large ball, about as big as her heart, glowing with an off-silver color. Strangely though, it was wobbling, throbbing pulsating, almost as if it was unstable.

"What the…" Making sure she was still ignoring him, Naruto tried to do something Lee had been teaching him recently-to use his chakra. While Lee was completely incapable, he had been telling Naruto the very basics the class had been taught so far. Naruto wasn't at the point of performing basic academy jutsu, but he could at least find and concentrate his chakra. Naruto breathed in, and then felt for it. Finding it, he tried pushing a small amount of chakra from his hands, into Hinata, then into this strange ball.

No reaction.

Frowning, Naruto then decided to try something more risky-he pushed a bit of Darkness into the glowing ball. It absorbed into the ball, and the strange object seemed to stabilize momentarily.

Then suddenly, without warning, whips of…some kind of power lashed out from the ball, striking out and whirling round Hinata as they knocked Naruto back over 10 feet. Hinata screamed loud and long, the strange energy shining from her eyes and mouth. Lee covered his face, dust whipping up as power lashed out from the girl. He had been channeling a bit of Darkness to his eyes, something he had recently started to get the hang of with Naruto teaching him, so he was able to actually see what was causing the wind and dust to be so disturbed. Speaking of which…Lee was stunned. This power the girl had…it was almost as strong as Naruto's Darkness!

Naruto winced as he stood, then started moving towards Hinata. While no one had ever noticed his experiments with Darkness, he didn't know if so much of this new stuff at once might alert someone. He had to stop her now. He leaned against the wind, and as he got close to the power whipping around, he used someone new he'd discovered, and extended a semi-transparent cover of Darkness around his body, giving him an appearance as if he was covered in shadows. He continued forward, having to feed more Darkness to the shield covering as Hinata's strange power cracked again and again against his defense.

Hinata continued to scream in pain, barely able to wonder at this…power-coming from her of all people! She started to feel as if her body might explode with the force of. But then, as the pain reached what felt like its height, a pair of arms encircled her again, pressing her against their owner. And she heard a voice, soft and calming, repeating over and over "It's ok…it's ok…Hinata-chan."

Hinata felt herself calming, the power radiating less. She struggled to remain conscious, her eyes fluttering. She could barely notice the gouges in the ground and nearby trees caused by...whatever that was, yet she did, and it frightened her. Her last conscious thought, as the pain died down and she succumbed to sudden exhaustion, was '_What...what happened? Did I do this? God…am…am I a monster?_"

Naruto sighed as the seeming power storm died down, and he gently lifted Hinata bridal style.

_She's so light…yet seems so strong…__you're really__amazing Hinata-chan.._

Naruto blushed at the thought, and then shook his head, just in time to hear Lee come up and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto…we don't know if anyone else felt that. We should leave, before someone comes along."

"Yeah…your right. Let's head to that stream a few miles over and see if we can revive her." Still holding Hinata carefully in his arms, Naruto nodded at Shih, and then turned and took off at a run beside Lee, both boys pushing darkness into their legs to speed up a bit as they disappeared into the undergrowth and the woods beyond. Shih stared for a moment, before pressing to the ground and sliding quickly after them.

It would be another 10 minutes before Konoha's ANBU captain, Mensik Hiruhan, leapt into the clearing, and just stood stock still for a minute, just listening. There hadn't been any chakra surges, no signs of anything really happening in the area…yet he couldn't shake the strange feeling he had missed something here. Something worth deviating from his trip back home.

Oh well. He turned, and began leaping back through the woods, hoping to be able to call it a night soon. The recent S-class runs must have been getting to him. He needed rest… and sake.

Yeah, that would help.

((If you can figure out what's so special about this guy's name, and tell me in a Private Message only, you also get to make up a bandit leader character…that'll be used as testing and killed later.))

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"So Naruto, what do you think it was?"

"Well Lee, considering it just happened…I have no damn idea."

Naruto and Lee had been sitting beside the stream for over 10 minutes now, trying in vain to revive Hinata while Shih chased around another butterfly. But neither gentle slaps or cold water seemed to work-the poor girl must have been exhausted to still be out after that. So, they settled down beside her, pondering this new power that reacted to the darkness so. They had checked on it every now and then using DV. Her heart was still strong, and the glowing ball seemed a bit brighter than before-but more importantly, it was now stable, and seemed much more secure. They yellow glow of their eyes faded as the two boys turned away from her and sighed. Lee looked back at her again, still in awe.

"That really was incredible. It wasn't darkness…and from the look and feel of it, it wasn't at all how chakra was described to us in class."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, the chakra I've tried using so far when you teach me felt nothing like that stuff. It was weird though…we couldn't see it without darkness vision. I mean, we can see darkness without DV, but that's only when we channel enough into a condensed area. This…new power was really concentrated too. I just can't figure out what it was."

They both sat in silence for a few minutes, before an idea struck Lee. Turning on his own DV, he turned towards Naruto, and gasped softly, before looking down at himself, and gasping again.

"What? What is it Lee?"

Lee looked up to his best friend, wonder etched into his features. "Naruto…something's changed since that incident. We…we saw something that changed what DV lets us see. Take a look at her, then at use."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, then shrugged and did as his friend asked. He turned back to Hinata eyes glowing the same yellow. Hinata was still asleep, eyes closed. Her heart and that…thing inside her seemed stable. He then turned back and looked at Lee…only to give a small gasp himself. There, next to Lee's glowing heart, was a ball similar to the one inside Hinata. True, it seemed to look solid, like a metal ball instead of a glowing org of energy like inside the girl, but it was the same color, size…everything. He turned down, and like Lee before him gasped a second time as he viewed an identical thing inside himself.

"No way…what the Hell are these things?"

They sat pondering a bit more, till once again it was Lee that had a sudden brain flash of insight.

"Naruto…there's an old saying we were taught about recently at the academy. About what a shinobi must give for his village. 'Mind, body, and…' Yes. That might be it."

"What? Don't hold out on me here Lee."

"Naruto, one might assume the mind is what deals with memories, since one uses it to think. Yet you've proven to me that it is indeed the heart that holds memories correct?" Naruto nodded, still unsure where this would end. "Well, then replace mind with heart. "Heart, body, and…"

"…And what?"

"Soul…"

Naruto's eyed widened, definitely not expecting THAT to be the answer. "Wait. You're telling me that…that ball of power that tore gouges in the ground and trees, that almost killed Hinata and maybe us…that's a soul?"

"I'm not sure. Granted, we know because of you and the darkness a person definitely has a heart and body…I imagine a soul would also exist. Indeed, was not the soul of Kyuubi what the fourth Hokage sealed into you?"

Naruto's eyes glazed over, remembering the event's of that life-changing night. "I'm not sure myself. He could remember being sealed, so his heart and memories were definitely there…but he had chakra, so I think his body was sealed too…gah! It's so confusing. I'm still not completely sure how the whole sealing worked. We'd need to find some kind of record of how the fourth worked that seal. Anyways…" He turned back to Hinata, a slight frown upon his face. "People always talk about the importance of a soul. I wouldn't think it would be a small ball of power, you know?"

"Indeed…yet I never thought before you that the heart was any more than a small organ that pumped blood. I think…that it's really her soul. It makes sense. Heart, body, soul. The three things that make a person."

Naruto chuckled, shaking his head as he stared at the older boy.

"Seriously Lee, sometimes you sound smarter than you let on."

Whatever comment Lee might have made in response was made mute, as the two boys turned towards the sound of Hinata stirring. The two boys rushed over, kneeling beside her as her eyes fluttered open. Unfortunately, as her eyes slowly widened, Hinata remember the events that took place before she passed out. She started to breathe hard and slapped Naruto and Lee's hands away.

"G-get away from m-me!" She hugged herself around the middle and dug her head into her lap, desperate to shut away everything.

_I…I don't deserve their kindness. What I did before…I'm a freak. I'm a monster…I could have killed them!_

"Hinata…" Naruto reached out a tentative hand, worried how she might react. He turned on DV for a second, and saw the ball…no, her soul was a bit wobbly. He frowned and knew he had to calm her before she started freaking out to much, and started the power storm all over again. "It's ok…everything is alright-" Hinata's head snapped up, disbelief, sadness, and even a touch of anger in her eyes as tears silently started to stream from her lavender eyes.

"H-how can y-you say t-t-that? You s-saw what I d-did! I could h-have killed you b-both! I'm a m-monster!" At this, Naruto's gaze suddenly hardened. He gripped her wrists, and continued to stare as she lifted her face and gasped in surprise.

"No Hinata…you're not a monster...I've seen a real one."

"Naruto…" Lee stood behind his best friend, a hand on his shoulder. "She seems nice and all...but do you really want to trust her with that information?" Naruto turned, nodding with that same hardened stare.

"She needs to be able to trust us Lee. By witnessing what happened here to her, she's now in our power considering what's happening to her. We need to show we're all on equal ground." Lee sighed, but sat next to them willing to trust his friend on this…still, he hoped this wasn't a mistake.

Naruto nodded, and then turned back to Hinata, whom he knelt in front of. He sat back cross-legged, and motioned for her to do the same.

"Hinata…tell me…what do you know about the story of the Kyuubi?"

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((A.N.: Sorry. Like with Lee, I refuse to do what some author's do- retell the ENTIRE damn story, and usually badly. I also don't want to tell the entire darkness story, or the events with Lee, or the Heartless. Really, I know some of you might be disappointed, but I don't see how hearing a shortened version of what you've read already is exciting. Naruto tells her about the night with Kyuubi, the Darkness, the Heartless, Lee, everything. That includes what they think is her soul.))

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Naruto sighed, looking up at Hinata as he finished his story. Lee sat nearby, a small smile on his face. He really never could get tired of this incredible story Naruto's life made…he felt proud to be such a big part of it. As for Hinata…she stared back at Naruto, feeling things put more into perspective. She looked at this boy, who'd felt so much pain and suffering, in more ways than one…she suddenly latched onto him again, digging her head into his shoulder. Naruto was about to try and pry her off, when her heard her muffled voice…and froze at what she said.

"…It's not right…how…how could they treat someone who's such a hero like this? I…thank you. Thank you for the long years you suffered for my safety, and all our safety." She looked up at him dry-eyed, but instead of tears there was admiration. "Naruto…you're so strong and brave…and yet so kind, despite all they've done to you…I wish I was like that." Naruto blushed at Hinata's praising, while Lee silently snickered at the cute scene this made.

Naruto then took her hand and smiled, hoping he could use this opportunity to lift her spirits.

"Hinata…you never answered me before. Do you always try your hardest when you train?"

"I…"Hinata looked down, starting to feel her old doubts come back. "Well…yes…I rarely live up to father's expectations though, and I know I should but-"

"No." Naruto smiled, interrupting what might have become a small self-pity rant. "You don't have to live up to your father's expectations. Just like Lee doesn't have to be perfect at everything. Even though he can't do ninjutsu or genjutsu, he trains hard with taijutsu, to the point where someday he'll be a living weapon. But he just tries to make himself happy with how far he goes, and how hard he tries." Naruto smirked, bopping Hinata lightly on her small nose. "If you do that too, if you try your best and believe in yourself, then you never have to worry about what others think. You'll be very strong…at least that's what I think about it." Naruto chuckled, and then turned his head to Lee, rubbing his neck embarrassed. "I told you; I really don't think I'm good at speeches like this-"

He was cut off however, as Hinata suddenly leapt at Naruto and knocked him to the ground, wrapping her arms around him, her cheek pressed against his. Both of their faces turned red as Naruto kept crying over and over "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Lee just feel on back, clutching his sides as he roared with laughter.

As the three finally calmed down, and Naruto and Hinata cooled down, Hinata smiled shyly, yet had a more confident look and hold in her body. "Naruto…thank you. I promise, I'll try to remember this…I'll be strong, no matter what my father thinks. Thank you…for everything."

Naruto rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Heh…really it was nothing."

Hinata giggled, thinking how cute Naruto looked when he did that, and then stood, along with the rest of them.

"Um…I w-was wondering…Naruto, could I m-maybe see one of the H-Heartless?" Naruto's eyes rose, remembering he had only told her about his little brigade of darkness-powered hearts, not shown her. He also smiled a bit as he realized he stuttering had gone down.

"Well…I suppose I could show you Shih to start. I have to warn you though, the Heartless happen to…look kind of creepy until you get used to them." Lee nodded, remembering how the Soldier Heartless had weirded him out. They seemed like living suits of armor…just plain creepy. "Actually…" They turned around, but the little Shadow had seemed to vanish. "Now where did the little guy get to?"

Hinata jumped a bit suddenly as she felt a small poke in her shoulder. She turned, and froze; her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as she gazed at what she assumed from what she had been told was Shih, realizing this was the black shape she'd seen before. Naruto and Lee noticed her reaction and sighed, wishing Shih hadn't chosen to do that. "Really Hinata, he's very nice-"

"KAWAII!!!" And with that cry, Hinata pulled the little Heartless against her, snuggling into his head as she marveled at the cute little thing, poking at his antenna and giggling at how adorable Shih looked. Naruto stared, flabbergasted and sweat-dropping (While a confusing part of him wished she was doing that to him), while Lee had face-planted the ground in exasperation and disbelief that someone could react to Shih like that.

And Shih? He just nuzzled back into her cheek, and wiggled his antenna enough to make a small, purr-like sound which made only squeal more.

Naruto stared at Lee as the other boy picked himself up, then looked back to how much Shih was enjoying the attention. "Lee…remind me never to make Shih or any of the other Shadows fight girls… it won't be much of a fight."

Hinata suddenly seemed to realize what she'd been doing, and turned pink, letting go of the little guy. "S-sorry…he's just so c-cute…" Hinata shook her head, and looked at Naruto, a more serious look on her face. "S-so…that was my soul that caused that p-power before?"

Naruto nodded. "That's what we think and it kind of makes sense. My heart and Lee's can produce Darkness…you…I don't know what to call that stuff your 'soul' was spewing out. See if you can try and feel and control some of it."

Hinata nodded, then closed her eyes, and felt herself calm. It was meditation technique her mother had taught her as a little girl, for when she was away from her mother and ever had a nightmare. Hinata felt her small chakra pool, and then pushed past that, searching for…well actually, she didn't know what her supposed soul would feel like.

Wait…

Hinata dug deeper, and suddenly touched…something inside her. Like a well of power, deep within her chest. Strangely though, it felt…blank. Like it wasn't even there to begin with. Yet the marks this stuff had made earlier that day were evidence that it did. She focused on that nexus of power, and tried to pull on it, to move it into her hand.

It was incredible. The power seemed to flow, smoother than her chakra ever had. The stuff entered her hand, though she felt a small amount trickle out, not under her control, towards her eyes. She suddenly heard a small gasp come from Lee and Naruto. Opening her eyes, she looked forward, and gasped herself. Naruto's hand…it was covered in a flowing black substance…the darkness was just like they'd described. And their eyes… apparently they'd turned on that Darkness Vision ability in order to see exactly what the stuff was doing to her. Hinata could now even see their hearts, glowing in their chests…and the glowing balls of their souls beside them. She looked at herself, and saw her own heart and soul, amazed at the power radiating from the later. She then looked down to her hand, eyes widening in surprise. It was covered in a manner similar to Naruto's, yet it seemed a silvery-gray color. She stared at it and, remembering how Naruto had said he and Lee could use the darkness to make themselves stronger and faster, formed a fist and took a punch at the ground beneath her.

Hinata could honestly admit that she didn't have much physical strength. Jyuken was a style meant to disable or kill an opponent with quick strikes to the chakra circulatory system, so real physical strength, while good to have, wasn't required. So imagine her surprise when her silvery-glowing fist made deep impression into the ground.

Hinata gasped. Even if she had tried repeating this action while enhancing herself with chakra, she probably couldn't have made as great an impact. She smiled, then tried drawing on a larger amount-or would have, if Naruto hadn't came and stopped her.

"Meh, you might not want to try and overdue it yet. Make sure you have good control with it first, and then go for it, ok?"

"Alright." Hinata smiled, and then walked over to the stream, suddenly thirsty. That thought left her mind though as she noticed her eyes. That weird power hadn't yet left her eyes. She focused, and felt herself pulling it away from her eyes-thought not before she'd seen them glow the same color as her hand had been. She sighed a bit in relief as they faded back to that pale, yet lavender color.

Naruto walked over beside her, Lee doing the same on her other side. Lee smiled, noting the amazed look on her face, figuring she'd seen her eyes under that power.

"Yes, it is amazing isn't it? So anyway, Hinata…what do you call it?"

"Huh?"

Naruto smiled, knowing where Lee was going with this.

"Yeah Hinata. It's your power. We don't have anything like it. That means you get to name it."

Hinata looked down in thought. She had no idea what to call this strange power her soul was capable of making. She closed her eyes, feeling once again for the pool of that strange, half-there energy. She grasped it. It was like trying to grab the wind-she felt it, but it was like it wasn't even there. Like there was nothing there. Like-

Hinata looked, opening her eyes smiling at the two boys.

"I have a n-name…one to remind m-myself of what I t-thought I was…and what I'll never let myself b-become… l-listen…my father…between h-his ideas of 'what looks good for the clan' and his…w-well, single-mindedness in certain areas, I don't think he'd be v-very happy about you two visiting my place. How about we k-keep meeting here every day, or at the c-clearing?" She smiled softly, the next part sounding embarrassed. "We could be f-friends…I usually don't l-leave our estate…s-so I really don't have any f-friends."

Naruto felt bad for the girl, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"Well, that's no longer a problem. We're your friends, right Lee?"

"Hai!" Hinata smiled, a look of happiness to a degree she could never remember feeling showing right then.

"Well, I s-should probably get home. F-Father will probably wonder w-where I went, and I have training soon. Shall we m-meet here tomorrow at noon?" Getting a nod from the body, Hinata smiled, and then hugged each of them in turn, thankful for all they'd done for her. Lee grinned and hugged back, excited at the prospect of a new friend… while Naruto could barely hug back, somehow feeling warm again. She turned and started running off, and was so happy she didn't even stop as Lee suddenly called out, "Wait! You didn't tell us what you called it!"

She looked back as she ran, grinning as she called out one word.

"Nothingness."

((A.N.: Heh, who didn't see that one coming?))

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Another month later found Lee sitting against a tree in their clearing. His attention was spilt, partly between Shih practicing slashing trees and jumping back quickly, but mostly between Hinata and Naruto sparring. It was always an interesting contest-Hinata using her quicker style but weaker style, and Naruto using the basic academy style but with more strength and stamina behind him. The result was basically that other than a few moments apiece where one got a small advantage over the other, the two usually were evenly matched. Every now and then they even used their respective powers to boost themselves, which had resulted in a few bruises.

Strangely, after watching for a while, Lee found that while Naruto and Hinata fought hard against him, the blonde took it slightly easier on Hinata. In fact, while both of them fought the other seriously out of respect, both also seemed hesitant to attack the other. Lee snickered. While he was an orphan like Naruto, he'd had easier times getting into the library, and talking to people, and after talking to Hinata and getting to know her better, he found that her family generally didn't discuss more personal topics, at least not at Hinata's age. As such, he'd come across a few conversations or books where the concepts of 'love' and 'crushes' were mentioned. He smirked, remembering times during training where the two of them had gotten very close to the other, only to jump back bashfully, blushing and generating a feeling of awkwardness.

Lee smiled at the thought of Naruto and Hinata possibly kissing, and wondered when they both would realize what they actually felt for the other. He knew he could have told them…but it was nice watching them like that, not yet knowing their own feelings for the other…plus it was just funny.

Naruto then smirked and leapt back a bit, as did Hinata. He concentrated a bit of darkness, and snapped. Immediately, a regular shadow appeared in front of him. The snapping wasn't necessary, but he just found it to be cool.

Lee grinned, knowing what would come next. He had known, ever since 2 weeks ago…

**(Flashback 2 weeks…)**

Ever since the three friends could see souls, they had always spent a little time each day looking around for any possible soul. The idea was that if Hearts stayed around after someone died, a soul might too. And if Naruto could give hearts a body using Darkness, why couldn't Hinata do the same for souls using Nothingness?

Over two weeks, they'd swept the village, but both Darkness Vision and NV, or Nothingness Vision (They had all sighed and sweat-dropped at having no better name then that) had failed to locate any more glowing energy balls that seemed signify a soul. Then, on the beginning of the third week, they'd moved into the woods.

Here, there had been success. They had wanted to search the woods the next day, but decided to check as there was still some light out. As dusk had begun to settle on the horizon, they moved, planning to search a shallow and small area of wood. Only a few minutes into the forest, the trio had found one of these said balls, floating lazily through the forest. Upon their calling out to, the small soul had gravitated over to the group, and hovered in front of them. Strangely, this soul seemed different from the souls of our three friends. While the same color and power seemed to be held inside it, and it was duller than Naruto and Lee's souls, this soul seemed to have a very condensed, compressed ball of matter at its core.

Hinata wondered at this, but shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be distracted. Receiving a comforting pat on the shoulder from Naruto (something that pinkened both their cheeks), Hinata stepped forward. Having trained more on her special power since that first day, she called a small amount of the power to her hand, and let it fly through the air.

It seemed their hopes were proven true. Upon contact with the wandering soul, the Nothingness had suddenly wrapped around it, and then entered the soul coursing into that strange object at the center. From there, the object turned a slightly lighter shade of white gray.

Then it got weird. The ball of matter started to absorb not just the Nothingness, but seemingly the soul as well. Sucking it all it, the ball dropped to the ground, looking for the entire world like a small, grayish rubber ball. It then started to twist and shudder, even growing as it did. Lumps started groping from the bottom and top, slowly pushing out into what looked like…appendages?

"L-Lee…" Hinata took a step back, awed at the transformation happening before her. "You usually have pretty good or accurate g-guesses about this stuff… what happened to the s-soul? And what's t-that ball?" Lee frowned, his bushy brow crinkled in thought.

"Well…that color before that strange ball absorbed your power…it reminded me of something. If I had to guess, I think the soul is trying to recreate its shell." After a look of confusion from the two, he tried to simplify it. "I think…that condensed ball inside the soul…was its original body." The other two gasped, and Naruto looked on with widened eyes as he thought it out.

"Yeah…the color was that of skin… every time I found a heart, I could never find a body nearby. I assumed the heart had travelled far from the body…but it seems that the soul keeps the body with it. Maybe in the hope of returning it to life somehow."

As they watched, the ball stretched more, a featureless lump growing on top and longer growths came from the 'torso, and seemed to be forming 'arms' and 'legs. Then came a sign that Lee had been correct-the grayish 'skin' of the supposed body started to turn flesh-colored at the stomach. Naruto, Lee, and Hinata turned on their respective eye powers and watched as the soul inside seemed to be using itself in an attempt to turn its body whole and human once more. They held their breath, hoping the soul could succeed…

But sadly it was not to be. The soul apparently wasn't strong enough, for the outer shell the soul was working on, which had almost gained the size of a fully grown human, started to shrink and lose all traces of skin-like color as the soul suddenly stopped pushing. They sighed, feeling disappointed. However, the changes didn't seem to be done. Failing to remake its true body, the soul started to try and contort the ball into something else. It shuddered though, and seemed to be struggling more.

Hinata watched the soul struggle. As she did, she remembered how she had struggled before…and she had failed. No. She couldn't let it happen now, not to this soul. She could do something now.

Holding out her hand, Hinata started feeding more Nothingness into the shell. Ignoring her friend's cries of how she still didn't have enough of her power yet, she fed more until she collapsed to her knees. Despite her improvement, and the fluidity of her power, she simply didn't have the stores of it as Naruto had of Darkness.

However, this seemed enough. Accepting this new power, the soul pushed on its shell. Lee's eyed widened in time with his friends as the body then contorted more, till it stood about the same height as Lee. And what it now looked like…definitely was **not** human.

The soul's body seemed a poorly made statue. It moved, but it was as if a sculptor tried to carve a human from marble, but had the most basic idea of its appearance. The torso was scrawny, not even a foot across. Lees even. Thighs almost as thick as the small middle gave way to legs that had slightly pointed kneecaps, and then as the leg went below the it seemed to thin even more, maybe a few inches wide. There were no feet to this body; it ended in a point, the curved up slightly like a blade, and then pointed back, then from there curved a bit back to join the leg again. Running up from the foot to its…'armpits', were solid blue strips of blue, one on each side. Up through these strips seemed to quickly run white bars of light, something that didn't seem to stop or change speed as time went on. From the upper side of the torso, thick shoulders gave way to long, sinewy arms with small bulges of muscle in places. It no hands; instead, the wrist gave way to 4 long, thin, whip-like 'fingers', all held together as one long appendage by two buckled straps. The 'hand' itself actually looked pretty solid and together, the sides and pointy end of it appearing sharp.

The head…what a strange, hard-to-describe thing it was. If an author had to describe in a story, he would have spent over an hour figuring out how best to type it out on his computer. cough

Anyway…the head was weird to say the least. Here, the previously mentioned sculptor had seemingly abandoned the idea of a human head. It looked like someone had first stuck a trashcan on the shoulders. Then the front top part had been cut so that it resembled an upside-down tear drop, the point being where the forehead would be. A mirror shape of 'skin' seemed to come out of the neck. The two flaps of skin ended an inch or two from the other, leaving what seemed to be a wedge of skin running horizontally. From the wedge, the same teardrop shape seemed to some out of it and ran around the back of the head before coming back on the other side. The whole head seemed to some to that point, which would have been a real point but for that wedge of skin. And rubbing along the jaw, up one side, up to the wedge, and down to the end of the other jaw, there was a…a…

"A zipper?" Lee couldn't comprehend it even as the words left his mouth. It has a zipper for a mouth? How did that even work? Hinata, equally confused, began to reach forward, curiosity begging to know what lay behind it. However, she leapt back as the zipper undid itself… seemingly of its own accord. As it reached the end, the…thing before them suddenly reared its head back, and as it came forward the unzipped 'mouth' snapped open, each side of the zipper seemingly acting as a row of teeth. But inside the mouth was something even more bizarre- no visible throat, instead there was a small, black-gray ball containing 2 rows of large, pointed teeth held in a slightly eerie smile. ((A.N.: Link at bottom.))

Lee shivered. "And I thought the Soldier Heartless looked kind of creepy…"

They all took a step back as it started to move. The now twisted body, a parody of human form, started for them, its movement astounding and erratic. It leapt, rolled, bounced and twisted, spinning and curling its body in ways that would be impossible for a normal human. IT even could hover in the air a bit for periods of time. It was as if the body had only muscle now, somehow able to move without bones. Even its regular walking, which it switched to at the end, seemed strange, the knees bent backward as it stepped, body leaned backwards as the feet stepped forward. Reaching Hinata, it stopped and stood, its arms and legs and body in general swaying around oddly as it stood straight again.

Unnoticed by the other two, Naruto's eyes widened as he took the image in. This thing…it was the white flashed he'd seen when he first looked into Shih's memory!

…no. He couldn't remember it exactly, but the one from the memory had been bigger than this… a lot bigger. Though when he thought about it, the soul itself was what he had seen, though it had been a large soul. Probably powerful too.

Hinata grinned. Despite its appearance, she reached out kindly to rub its head, happy the soul could have a body again. Yet it gave no reaction to her touch, nothing like Shih or the other Heartless whose eyes smiled at her and moved to snuggle against her. The creature before her was unresponsive, even to her attempts to get it to talk. Naruto's train of thought was interrupted as he watched the unresponsive thing before them.

"Jeez, it's like its dead… Lee, want to take a shot at this one?" Lee nodded, a grim, and slightly sad smile set on his face.

"Yes…I've actually thought about this a bit, ever since I considered how a heart might be different from a soul. The heart seems to carry on it the memories of a person when they lived." His eyes glowed as he peered at the strange form in front of them with DV. "If you look closely, it seems to have a copy of the hearts memories running along those blue lines, seen by us as the white lights…but those memories don't seem to have the same color of our memories. It's like everything is in black and white… I could be wrong here, and I can't exactly prove it, but judging from its lack of response or even any eyes or face to judge, I think this creature lack the emotion that a heart contains." Naruto frowned at the idea.

"Yeah…I could see that. But emotions-happiness, anger, sadness, joy, fear- they make a person who they are, even more than memories do. For this thing to have no emotion at all…it's like it doesn't even exist." Hinata's face fell at this idea. She had wanted so much to save this soul, as Naruto had saved hearts. She'd wanted to do something that amazing like he did…to impress him (though she herself wasn't sure why)…yet all she'd given the soul was an existence that wasn't technically real. Noticing her expression, Naruto bent down next to her, a hand gently gripping her shoulder.

"Don't think like that. You gave this soul a body again…and even if it can't feel, it's there, taking up space. It exists. And sometimes…well, I wouldn't know, but I bet even a false existence is better than not existing at all right?" At those words, Hinata felt more secure in her actions, and gave Naruto a small smile of thanks. Naruto pinkened slightly at that, and then looked up at her creation. "So, what are you going to call him? And his kind in general? I bet when you get more Nothingness later, you could give them enough to make even stronger bodies."

Brightened at the thought, Hinata pondered a minute, her head tilted in thought. Nothingness…and an existence that wasn't real… and as she pondered these two ideas, she noticed the sun had almost set; the last vestige of light pouring into the woods. She smiled.

"Yes…I'll call them Nobodies. Ironic, since they are-were someone. And as for this type of Nobody…" She smiled, rubbing his flattish, smooth head. "I'll call you a Dusk, because that's when we found you. Ok?" She grinned, and then sighed as the Dusk gave no kind of response.

She stood, and turned to her two friends. Lee, the insightful boy who could use darkness to make his body stronger, and who wanted to be the best Taijutsu user ever. And Naruto, the kind, warm-hearted Darkness user who gave hope to her, and to so many hearts. Who wanted to be the greatest Hokage ever and protect those dear to him. Truly she was blessed to have friends like these. Hinata smiled at the two, who looked at her in confusion at her sudden grin.

"I'm going to help all the souls I can, just like you help hearts. I'll become strong, and worthy of the friends I've made." Before Naruto could loudly exclaim how she was already, she hmmed and grinned at them more. "In a way, our style of fighting makes us whole. Lee, the body…me, the soul…and Naruto, the heart. Like a human being, were all parts of a whole together…I'm proud to have that connection with the two of you." This time, both Naruto AND Lee blushed bashfully, identical grin on their faces.

"Same" "Of course!"

**(End Flashback.)**

As Lee watched the sparring, Hinata concentrated, and making the same unnecessary but fun snapping that Naruto had, summoned a Dusk in front of her.

It was always interesting to watch the two summoned beings fight. The Shadow, which was fast and had a more brutal strength and claws, was stronger than the dusk, but slower. Meanwhile, the Dusk seemed to be able to run circles around a Shadow-excluding Shih, who was now fast enough to match the slippery contorting Nobody- and those point blade hands and feet were excellent weapons for making cute out stabbing like a sword. However, they didn't seem to posses the same strength as a shadow, and were knocked back easily once a Shadow landed a hit. And while they had more finesse at slicing and stabbing then Shadows, the Dusks simply didn't have the power to go deep, meaning they would have to end a fight quickly in real life so as to avoid being destroyed.

The dusk 'swam' through the air in its usual strange twisting toward the Shadow, who flattened and sped quickly to engage its foe.

As Lee watched the Dusk swirling mid air, he looked again at the head. Deciding to copy Naruto, she had created a seal representing Nobodies on the top of the teardrop head using Nothingness. Not wanting to make some ball like the shape of the soul, and having no real inspiration like how Naruto had used a heart as the basic design for the seal on the Heartless, she had simply let her imagination go free.

The result was interesting. It seemed as if she took the idea from a windmill shuriken, having learned about such a weapon from her father. Instead of curved blades, the center had 3 sets of lines the curved out, stopped at points, and then formed a pointy triangle. There was one on the left, right, and top. The bottom of the design seemed as if one of those same triangles was positioned so that the top point melded into the center that the other three triangles came from. The two bottom points of the 4th triangle curved down and around, stopping just short of making a perfect circle. From there the points curved down, and formed the shape of the upper half of a heart upside down. A thick black line followed the outline of the brand.

Watching the two slash and move in their battle as their owners cheered them on, Lee smiled. A new friend with a new power, a new type of being born from lost souls, his own progress in fighting (though unlike Naruto, he didn't seemed to be able to use darkness outside of his body, only to enhance himself inwardly)…it had truly been an exciting and happy month. He wouldn't have traded it for anything, even the ability to use chakra correctly!

Lee leaned back into the tree and sighed. Though he didn't know that later on in life he would face harsh challenges, and have even greater moments than this, Lee felt like life couldn't get better right then. The sound of the battle faded as his mind drifted, awash in a sea of peace and happiness that many seek, and few ever find…

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_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: These past few months have been great, even despite how the academy teachers treat me._

_Naruto: But… (__Blushes__) why do I act like this around Hinata-chan? __This warm feeling…it makes me so happy. Why?_

_Hinata: My feelings…they react like this around Naruto-kun. Why does it happen?_

_Naruto/Hinata: Why…does she/he make me feel this way…?_

_Next time: __**Oh m**__**ystery of crush**__**es**__** and love. **__**It's t**__**he moment the readers have been waiting for Naruto!**_

_Lee: Geez, I hope it doesn't take too long. The suspense is killing me…_

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Geez this took a long time, huh? Glad it's all over. Now I can concentrate on the next one.

Sorry about the time. Making this really took some work. I basically had to rethink how concepts of heart, body, and soul work in Naruto as opposed to KHII. And describing Nobodies is harder than Heartless at this point. Anyway, don't forget to read the stuff before this chapter starts, make your votes, and try to win the guessing contests. And please give thoughtful reviews. I love hearing from you all in general, but hearing your thoughts always helps me to improve myself.

Don't forget about the links in my profile.

Ja ne!


	6. Oh Mystery of Crushes and Love

Yes, it took a long time. Good work takes time, and I refuse to do what some authors do: turn out a chapter every few days that barely amounts to 5 pages, with horrible grammar and no depth. There ARE authors that can create great work in that much time, but I guess they have more free time than me.

This chapter takes place around 1 year and 8 months after chapter 5. So Naruto and his class/generation (Even though only Naruto is in the academy at this point) are like 10, and Lee/Neji/Tenten are like 11.

Hmm… well, I seem to be getting good feedback from that last one. Most feedback seems to be the number of story alerts, favorite story/author notices I've got, but have gotten some reviews too. I've put all the links from chapters 4 and 5 into my profile so you can see them. Describing the Dusk and Nobody symbol was a bitch; some might have had it easier, but there are so many sharp lines and curves that it's a challenge.

I really do need you guys to look at the voting, make suggestions on cameo characters, and submit omakes you'll be credited for.

The contest where you had to guess the many parts from that segment in chapter four is over. Answers were Zhao Yun, Liu Bei, Zuo Ci, Fierce Dragon, and the name of the game was Dynasty Warriors. Any of you who didn't try, you have now lost the chance to make up an OOC character of your own design.

Also, the other contest with the ANBU Captain's name is over. No one guessed it, meaning no one gets to make an OOC character for winning this second contest. It was tricky…but you really could have figured it out if you looked carefully at the name.

Mensik Hiruhan.

M E N S I K H I R U H A N

K E N S H I N H I M U R A H

Yup. When I made the ANBU captain's name, I hadn't even planned this. But I look at the name because something seemed weird, and then I realized what I'd unconsciously done…and made a contest out of it.

**IMPORTANT!!**



I want to hear opinions, the voices of you guys. You're who I write for. But please, don't tell me what to do. There's a difference between "I like the romance between so and so, but it seems a bit rushed/bit slow" and "Give Naruto so and so's weapon, and make him and so and so hook up faster! Combine the heartless with nobodies! You should do this. You should do that." I don't tell any of you what to do, and I ask for that same courtesy. Please tell me how things seem, and not how I should make them.

Also, and this is IMPORTANTI am NOT mixing powers, weapons, Heartless, or Nobodies. I understand I could do that; Hell it's fan fiction, we have free range. But once an author sets a standard like I have, and they set a way they want their story and characters to work, they usually don't like changing from it, or being told to. So no mixing anything and no suggesting weapons either; I have them all picked out ahead of time. If you're all so desperate for it that you ignore my requests, and then please start your own stories so you can have what you want, and good luck with them.

Almost forgot. Currently, between private messages and reviews, this is the current total. An d once I post the last chapter before the time skip, the poll will have officially closed.

Shino No eyes: 11

Shino Bug eyes: 19

Well, you've all been hoping for it, so here it comes: the Naruhina at last with an original song of mine!

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Six**

Oh mystery of crushes and love. It's the moment the readers have been waiting for Naruto!

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_(Time skip- 1 year and 8 months later…)_

Naruto leaned against the soft bark of the tree, waiting for Lee and Hinata to show up. Above him, the sun shone through the trees, painting dazzling pictures and casting shadows upon the surrounding foliage. Shih lay beside him, the little Shadow's back crushing the soft grass underneath. He'd never really seemed to sleep, and Naruto couldn't see how Shih might need sleep considering he didn't have a body…well, he did, but it was a body of pure Darkness, so it wasn't the same. It usually seemed the little Heartless was deep in thought…though about what, Naruto had no clue. Other then training and whatever random cute activity Shih busied himself with, all Naruto figured he could do was go over the memories from his life...and how interesting could that be?

Though, Naruto reasoned, he might be doing that himself someday… and his own experiences so far, and the memories they were making, were interesting in of themselves.

It always seemed amazing to Naruto just how much had happened in the almost two years since meeting Hinata. He supposed one of the most helpful things was the money Hinata had been giving him and Lee soon after meeting them, when she'd discovered their financial situation and living conditions. Having been a merchant group before first joining Konoha, still maintaining some of that business, AND having a lot of missions from the village, the Hyuga had a massive fortune to call their own. So, when Hinata pull out a couple thousand ryo at a time, it never went noticed.

The trick for Hinata hadn't been getting the money safely. It had been getting Naruto and Lee to actually take the money. They seemed to have a streak of pride about taking that money, as if they hadn't earned it or something. She'd only sighed, and pressed it into their hands, saying the friendship they gave her was more than enough payment. At that, they'd both accepted the money with a warm smile and a light blush that she couldn't help but giggle at.

And they couldn't deny the benefit. While both got a regular supply of money from an Orphans fund, what Lee got couldn't support anything besides the basics really…and Naruto noticed Lee usually got more than him, indicating someone in the Hokage's accounting was working against him. It had taken some arguing to convince his friends not to bring it up with the old man. If someone could do it under the Hokage's nose, it meant try to get someone to let them see the old man, or complaining in general, could bring about an even worse situation than a deficient fund. Lee and Hinata had finally backed off, on the condition that when they knew a safe way, they would investigate the problem immediately.

In the meantime, the added money was a boon for the two orphans. Both Lee and Naruto had been able to start affording more food, clothes, and other things of that nature…and this was supplemented soon after Lee was finally able to teach Naruto and Hinata henge. The transformation technique, one the three academy basics, had become a very valuable tool for 

both Naruto and Hinata, as it allowed Naruto to walk about the village with her disguised as a non-descript boy with brown hair. No staring or cruel words.

It was nice…yet at the same time a reminder that if they knew who he was under the disguise, he'd be back to square one in an instant. It had also been impressive that the two of them had learned it in just a few days, and especially when the person teaching them couldn't use the skill himself and taught only by verbal description.

However, Lee had refused to let his continued struggle with ninjutsu or genjutsu bring him down, and had only thrown himself further into his taijutsu training. Physically, his speed, strength and skill were realistically at a high Genin level, as he was quickly becoming very proficient in the basic academy style. Naruto was a close second in these three factors, and also was getting better, though he could out do Lee's speed and strength when he channeled chakra into his system. Getting the control to do that successfully had been a nice little challenge for a kid that at 8 years old had the chakra reserves of a very high Chunin, but as with many other things, his work ethic had eventually paid off…that, and Hinata had had helped him. Knowing a girl that learned how to control chakra since she was 5 had been a great help, and with a few exercises and patience she had gotten Naruto to a moderate level that would impress most Genin. Nothing incredibly impressive, but far better than an eight year old should ever be.

Hinata herself, while not their equal in physical strength or unaltered speed, was exceptional at manipulating her chakra, and when she augmented herself with chakra, she was a speed demon, at least compared to Naruto. She couldn't make blurry after images or move to fast to see- the boys just simply couldn't touch her if she didn't want it. Still no advantage in strength, but you can't hit what you can't touch.

Hinata also had been soaking up Jyuken like a sponge. However, when it seemed like her father had started to notice her sudden improvement, she realized that he might try to investigate how it had happened, and learn about her friends. To offset this possibility, she had been faking the same 'poor' performance in front of her father, doing only well enough to warrant continued training. In private or with her two friends however, she drilled herself from memory till she could do the kata blindfolded. Naruto and Lee had also been…'willing' test subjects for practicing hitting the tenketsu.

Oh yes, that had been 'fun'.

Shih…even after all his time with the little guy, whether at training, play, or at home, Naruto still couldn't figure the little Heartless out. Other than those few memories he had seen when they'd met, Naruto hadn't delved more into his memories, somehow feeling it a breach of privacy. The Shadow simply put himself through pushing his little Darkness shell around his heart, getting faster and stronger, especially whenever Naruto added a little more Darkness into Shih's shell of a body.



What had been most interesting were Shih's reactions in the village. Even in training, Shih always seemed…happy, for lack of something better. There was always playfulness to him, and during training always seemed just as motivated. Yet within the village, when Shih hid in Naruto's shadow, the little guy seemed to always be looking out from his hiding spot at the people around Naruto with… with apprehensiveness he supposed. There were a few times though, when Naruto went out and forgot to transform, that Shih had noticed how people reacted to Naruto- and Naruto had felt an anger coming from Shih, and had once had to whisper down the little Shadow from jumping out and attacking someone that looked at Naruto the wrong way. Despite the fact it was a risk to their cover, Naruto secretly loved the protectiveness, something he'd never felt from others when he was younger, and as if in unspoken thankfulness always found time to just play around with Shih. It was always weird to Naruto, seeing as Shih had a memory chain whose length suggested he was at about twice as old as Naruto. Why a teenager would want to play hide-and-go seek was a mystery, and it was a little confusing especially seeing how whomever Shih had been would have been old enough to know about the fox to begin with, but having a constant playmate, even when Lee and Hinata were unavailable, was very uplifting. Being so, Naruto felt no reason to question it.

Now, to say Hinata could blush easily, was like saying an ocean is damp. However, Naruto soon was able to join her in inventing new colors himself in front of both of his friends. The reason? That Lee and Hinata had finally found out Naruto had practiced singing. He had been humming and softly singing a few random words when they'd accidentally overheard. He had felt his skill wasn't good enough yet, and had been keeping it up in private, finding less and less time as training with Lee and Hinata had taken up a lot of his day. Far from being angry about this secret however, both of them had insisted that Naruto sing for them… especially after they found out he was practicing violin. Turning a bright cherry red before starting, Naruto had just sung a few very simple songs from the text he had been studying. It wasn't anything long or dramatic…but apparently, Lee got a kick out of hearing Naruto sing "Hot Cross Buns" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Very simple, yes, but his friends enjoyed hearing his voice, which in all respect was a very cute tenor.

In fact, if a person was reading about this life of Naruto's as a fan fiction, the author might suggest thinking of a 9 year old in a kid's choir when trying to imagine his voice.

Of course, such ideas are completely silly.

In any case, Naruto liked having an audience whenever he learned a new song... and it was funny watching Lee slowly nod off when he played on a violin. Not that Lee didn't enjoy it… but the music was so calming, that Lee couldn't help himself.

And Hinata…she was riveted. Not just by his skill with an instrument, but by his voice. She had though upon first meeting Naruto that he was the vision of a child angel. His voice now reinforced that image. This of course was evident in the bright red of Hinata's face, which caused 

Naruto to blush upon seeing what he thought was cute. All of this gave Lee a nice chuckle, until it eventually turned to snoring. Shih just watched it all, though he was always still during Naruto's singing or playing, so he must have really been enjoying it, or was stunned by it. It was hard to tell with eyes that they had yet to see blink.

Naruto loved the attention…yet found Hinata's praise the best of all for some reason. He still didn't understand…though he had started considering asking her to try singing. He had nice voice in her mind, and a few songs in that book were for girls or couples…

((A.N.: No, he still doesn't understand at all why he feels how he does. Neither does Hinata. They're only 10…and haven't gotten far enough in this chapter for me to arrange it yet. Be patient.))

Naruto and Hinata had also taken up an interesting hobby when they trained. It had all started one day with an offhand comment by Lee, who said he was training his body to be a living weapon. That last word had sparked something for Naruto and Hinata, who soon decided to see if they could add weapon training to their day. True, Lee had told them about shuriken and kunai, and had brought some blunt ones from the academy that they had been practicing with. Still, they idea seemed like a good one.

Once again, Shih's amazing ability to sneak out books or scrolls from the shinobi library paid off, soon resulting in a few books on weaponry and the different kinds. Naruto and Hinata immediately dismissed bows and all other long range devices, wanting something for up close work.

For Naruto, the problem seemed to be every weapon seemed…uninteresting. Swords, axes, scythes…everything seemed like something one might see every day in a weapons shop. Indeed, after walking into one under henge, there seemed to be a lot of these, and generally every other weapon…especially the swords. Different types, yes, but a ton of swords.

In fact, if this was a fan fiction, the author might be suggesting to whoever was reading that it was a metaphor for the overuse of swords in Naruto stories by all the other authors on the site said fan fiction might be posted.

Again, a very silly idea.

((A.N.: These moments aren't their actual thoughts, just my joke and opinion. Don't like it? Too bad.))

Finally, in a page in the rear of one of the books pilfered by Shih, Naruto found something that had sparked his attention, and that had actually been absent from every weapons shop in Konoha. The said weapon? A spear. It hadn't even been a very exotic photo, but the long, pointy ended weapon had taken hold in his mind, till the idea of using one became almost an obsession.



So, in preparation for the day when he could afford his own spear and wield it well, Naruto started dedicating time during practice to working with a long stick, and tied a small metal ball at the end, to simulate the area where the pointy end would be. He soon found the balance, reach, and strength he could put behind the weapon an exciting challenge.

Hinata, instead of wanting a weapon that didn't seem unused, picked the idea of acquiring a sword, and finding a new concept behind it. This became even more important as her training with Naruto found her feeling uncomfortable with simply holding the stick she practiced with in both hands, like a simple Katana. She tried holding it out with one hand, making light strikes like with what one book on foreign swords had called a 'rapier'. Style after style failed to inspire her, and she continued to be knocked around by Naruto during weapon sparring.

Still, the two of them practiced, finding their strikes clumsy and inefficient, but a good workout. Surely with age they would improve.

Finally, they had struck gold. Hinata had been holding the stick like a katana again, and had made a downward slash at Naruto. He blocked, and then pushed her back and followed with a downward slash of his own, breaking her grip and knocking the weapon from her hand. In a desperate attempt to keep herself armed, Hinata had made a desperate grab for her weapon, succeeding in gripping the stick in reverse with the 'blade' end pointed behind her.

Having no time to switch it back, she had brought it up to block another strike, still holding it in that strange reverse grip…and somehow, she blocked it solidly. Not only blocked it, but had forced Naruto back a bit. It had simply felt comfortable to her. Their eyes widened, before Hinata gave a shy yet devilish smirk, and slashed again, bringing the stick from behind her towards Naruto. Though the style itself was still clumsy, it felt more natural and comfortable to Hinata, and stronger too. Naruto soon found himself having to attack against, and block, stronger and stronger moves by Hinata's unique reverse style.

((A.N.: If you don't realize who she's fighting like with her 'sword', no cookie for you. And there's more than one answer.))

Soon, both spring and summer had passed, and Naruto found himself gaining a second bonus promised by Sarutobi- early entrance into the ninja academy. Thankfully, he had gotten into the same classes as Lee, who had failed for not being able to perform the ninjutsu or genjutsu required to graduate. It was especially good fortune, as the teachers found that if they couldn't outright attack the 'Demon Child', then hampering his learning how to defend himself was the next best thing. Purposefully refusing to let him answer question, altering his answer to lower his grades, giving question know only to Chunin and higher…the list of injustices went on and on.

It would have easily been seen through by an average student, and questioned…had the class, all of which comprised of 12 year olds except for the two friends, not had their tiny little minds infected by their parent's hatred. Having been told nothing but bad things about 'that boy', the 

other children either teased and laughed at Naruto, or avoided him like a leper. Lee had been a welcome comfort, and the teasing he got for failure to use chakra successfully meant he was used to this kind of thing in a way, and could comfort Naruto easily in the face of such unfair hatred.

Lee having been a former student, and having taught Naruto as he'd gone along last year, Naruto had a fair idea of the material to come, and probably could have ranked high in the class. However, within the first month, he'd overheard a conversation between two teachers, discussing how the 'Demon' might be getting stronger. Wanting to stay in the class and make the old man's effort worth it, but not wanting to, well, die anytime soon, Naruto had settled into a nice medium, neither horrible or top scoring in his performance.

The nice break in all this had come a few months after the beginning of academy years- Naruto's ninth birthday. It had been a very, very small affair, taking place in Naruto's apartment. The guests consisted of Lee, the Third Hokage, and Hinata, who had snuck out to make the joyous occasion. It had been a fun evening, and the party itself was a surprised planned by Hinata and Lee. The former had walked into the Hokage's Tower one day, and using her status had gotten a very short appointment with the Hokage. Upon asking about his involvement in the event, Sarutobi had smiled knowingly, and assured her he would help with the party for Naruto-kun. The mentioned use of the endearing suffix had sent Hinata into a blushing storm, again for reasons unknown to her, and had sent the old man into a chuckling fit.

It really had been a nice time…one the nicest moments had been when Naruto had come home that night, saddened that Lee and Hinata hadn't shown up for training that day. Thankfully Shih was still hiding in his shadow, for when he opened the door, both his friends and the Sandaime had been there as the lights turned on, giving a shout of Happy Birthday. Naruto had frozen on the spot, staring at the three presents sitting on his table, the small cake with a leaf symbol in icing…and more importantly to him, three people were there. Waiting for HIM to come home. Happy to see HIM. Celebrating HIS birthday.

Naruto's eyes had teared up a bit, and in a small, uncertain, shaky voice, he asked if this was real, or if he was dreaming. Lee had frowned at the statement, and then loudly exclaimed that of course it was real. Hinata had actually cried slightly, feeling such sorrow someone as nice as her friend had to ask such a question, and flung herself onto the blonde, giving him as tight a hug as she could manage. Neither of them blushed, both wrapped up in emotion during the whole ordeal- Naruto in his disbelief and stunned happiness, and Hinata in her agony over his former and current life.

And Sarutobi…as he had before, he cursed his own carelessness over the loophole in his decree, and his heart felt snapped in to once more. God, he wished with all his heart he could do more for the boy…but this would have to do for now. Till he could find a way to recompense for his actions.



Finally, after a few tears had been shed by the two, Hinata and Naruto both noticed what one might have called a…compromising position, at least if they were older. As it was, they immediately moved from each other, turning a color that made red look pale. Lee and Sarutobi shared a look, and then a good-hearted and knowing chuckle that went unnoticed by the blushing pair. Not that they would have understood it anyway.

They'd finally gotten around to the presents, which had been fun. Sarutobi had procured both a basic and more advanced book on chakra control for Naruto. A very thoughtful gift…so it wasn't Sarutobi's fault that thanks to Hinata, Naruto knew basically everything in the first book. Lee had found a small music shop within Konoha's market district, and after saving up for a while had purchased a very nice violin and matching bow, even nicer than what Shih had stol- err, had procured for Naruto that one night.

Unknowingly, it had actually been the same shop.

Hinata's gift, while indeed expensive, had been very special in Naruto's mind. It had been a small locket on a chain, shaped in a heart. To Sarutobi, it couldn't have been a cuter show of affection. But to Hinata, who didn't understand her own feelings, the heart simply has a reference to the Heartless, and how in a way Naruto was a 'master of hearts', as Lee had once called him. The locket itself was gold, but a small clasp allowed it to open revealing not one, or two, but three empty slots for pictures to go in.

And as fate would have it, Sarutobi had brought a camera for that night. A week later, the locket could be seen with a picture of Lee, smiling and giving a peace sign to the camera, Hinata, smiling shyly at the camera and poking her fingers together…and both Naruto and Hinata, blushing in unison while looking at each other, confused at their own feelings.

It had really been a night to remember…and the 10th birthday party the next year had felt just as special.

Another great moment had been when Hinata finally had gotten over her stuttering and shyer manner. In private anyway. To keep up appearances and not arouse suspicion, she had kept up that part of her façade as well in addition to during sparring with her father or cousin. Still, when alone with her friends, she had become more active and lively, and her smile soon became as infectious as Naruto's.

The boys had felt so bad for their friend when she told them about the attempt to kidnap her those years ago, and how since then her father's disappointment, Neji's constant hatred, and the state her entire clan was in had been a depressing existence for her daily, and had broken her confidence until the boys had met her. Naruto and Lee realized how thankful they were to have found her. The idea of Hinata in that state of happiness without the escape she found in being their friend was almost inconceivable. Seeing her acting louder and more outgoing around them as a happy thing.



Though Naruto and Hinata still didn't understand why the other could make them blush and feel a bit nervous again…

Yes, they were glad and honored to have helped Hinata become more open and confident about herself. And the experience of how they did so had taught them a valuable lesson about life.

When trying different ways to make a girl bolder and louder vocally, fake spiders should never be involved.

The Jyuken strikes made in payback healed though…eventually.

Naruto hadn't found many hearts lately, and the current official count of Heartless was 70. 30 shadows including Shih, 10 soldiers, 10 large bodies, and a mix of 20 Rhapsody, Nocturne, and Symphony. Still, he'd been working hard on practicing fighting alongside them, and they continuously been a boon in training.

I mean, if a bunch of little Heartless practiced with you by throwing balls of ice, fire, and lightning, you'd get faster and more agile too.

And on days of just relaxing and having fun, they couldn't beat bouncing continuously on a Large Body's stomach like it was a trampoline.

Hinata had only found up to 15 souls now, all becoming Dusk's. Souls, for some reason, seemed a rare commodity compared to hearts, and they still were searching for more Nobody candidates… still, the quick little things were great sparing partners, their fast and precise strikes making them a good challenge for even someone with Hinata's speed.

The three of them had also gotten better with Darkness and Nothingness as a power-up. Lee, obviously unable to channel it the same as his friend, had taken to just amping up his strength, speed, and resistance as he did with chakra. When he did it at the same time as chakra, it was actually an impressive display, eyes glowing bright yellow and everything. Naruto could do all this, and had begun to use Darkness as an external weapon. This mostly consisted of gathering a small ball of the stuff, and either throwing it as a ball or, once he'd gotten good enough control, concentrating the Darkness and forcing it into a tight corridor of outward power… or, a beam of Darkness for short. Either attack could blow or carve small chunks out of rock or wood, but still wasn't strong enough for serious, and especially drawn out combat.

Having smaller reserves of Nothingness, but finding it easier to control, Hinata had taken to adapting the results of her first encounter with the power; namely, concentrating it into whips of power to hold in her hands. She had even begun to start gathering the power around her body. It not only created a weak shield, but she could form the whips from the shield itself. Naruto had started practicing to adopt this useful technique into his arsenal. Both shield and whips would someday become very effective for both of them.



((A.N.: Yeah, so to make it simpler, the whips will be able to form out of the shield at any point and strike enemies. They literally could form out of their backs, and lash out without Hinata or Naruto touching them. No wings though…if they end up being able to fly, no wings involved. And that's IF they get to fly…))

Sighing as he lay against the tree, Shih on one side and his 'spear' on the other, Naruto saw in the distance Hinata and Lee approaching him, chatting happily, Hinata with her 'sword' hanging from a small belt around her waist. Naruto smiled as he took them in from afar- Lee's wide smile and his personable attitude. Hinata's silky hair, and pale/ lavenderish eyes, her sweet smile, her cute face, cute voice, cute-

His train of thought stopped as his face lit up and warmed considerably. Again. Why did thinking about Hinata do that to him? Yes, she was cute. So why did that make him act in such a manner? Why couldn't he bring himself to go all out and seriously hit her in sparring? Why did she make him nervous?

Yet the more he thought about her, the more she cemented a place in his head. He never felt this way, even for Lee, his best friend. He knew that if someone asked, he'd do anything for her. Even…yes, after a few seconds to think, he'd give his life up for hers. He wanted to make her happy, to comfort her when she was hurting like he had. Nothing was too much for his friends and Hinata especially.

But to feel such a way, even for a friend…Naruto still didn't get it. How she could seem like the whole world to him.

_Why…_

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Similar thought ran through the head of Hinata's mind as she approached Naruto. Lee's snickering at the blush suffusing her face went unnoticed by the girl. She couldn't get Naruto out of her mind when she had clear time to think. His sun-kissed blonde hair, his deep blue eyes, his cute face, his angelic voice whether he sang or not, his-

Again. Why did the boy make her act this way? Why did she feel so nervous about what he thought of her? How did even his slightest praise make her day? What could it possibly mean?

She didn't know, but knew she'd do anything for her blonde friend…even die for him. A scary though, giving up her life, but she knew while she'd hesitate for a moment for Lee, for Naruto she'd do it before a heartbeat was up. But…

_Why…_



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_Why does she/he make me feel like this…?_

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Teuchi, in his days spent at his comfortable Ramen stand, had seen a lot of love go by. Yes, no joke. His own wife was the biggest example. Both before and after her unfortunate passing many years before, thinking of her brought his warmth and peace to his heart. There had been the love from his daughter, for whom he cared fiercely to make up for her lack of a mother in her life, as he had refused to remarry in his love's memory.

And then there was the love that had gone through his establishment. Young couples on first dates, or more comfortable daters afterwards, newlyweds, older couples, shy youngsters in the 'cootie' phase, the arguing and cynical long-term partners…yes, Teuchi had seen many kinds of love, and had a bit of a knack for recognizing them.

This was why he would smirk so knowingly when Naruto and Hinata visited his eatery.

The frequent visits from Naruto had been a welcome appearance of cheery fun from the blonde, and his constant business hadn't been overlooked either. He hadn't even minded the drop in business when people started refusing to come back for…obvious reasons. Ayame, being 15, was smart enough to realize people seemed to avoid or look disapprovingly on Naruto for some reason…but his warm personality made it impossible for her to care. Besides, the way he called her his nee-chan was just too cute.

Once Naruto finally learned henge, he had begun visiting again in disguise, bringing Lee and Hinata with him. Ayame was just impressed that a little kid could do something like that. Teuchi was happy for the boy, since he knew from looking at him before that Naruto had felt guilty about 'scaring' off the business Ichiraku usually received.

The best part, for both Teuchi and Ayame, was watching Naruto and Hinata. They were so shy around each other, and how looking at each other long enough or getting close could get them nervous and flushed was priceless.

One day, sometime after Naruto and Hinata had turned ten years old and Lee eleven, Teuchi and Ayame had held Lee back one day, and in a sly whisper had asked how long the two had liked each other. Lee snickered, and proceeded to explain how the two didn't understand their feelings for the other at all. Teuchi had been surprised… though he understood about Naruto, having no parents to explain this too, he was shocked they didn't talk of such matters in Hinata's family.



It had been this moment where an important event took place. A wicked grin made its way to Teuchi's face, and soon after explaining his newfound plan to Ayame and Lee, their faces changed to match.

A few weeks later, Naruto and Hinata were entering Ichiraku's for lunch again. Lee was not present, having said something about an important meeting or something…he'd been strangely vague about the whole thing.

In any case, the visit had been pleasant. A good warm meal later, Naruto and Hinata were sighing in contentment, enjoying the after affects of ramen.

Yay ramen.

It had been then that Teuchi had called Naruto into the back, saying he needed some criticism on a new ramen flavor. Smiling, Naruto had rushed into the back, leaving Hinata alone with Ayame. The older girl looked around and, as if the plan was favored by luck, or whatever deity decided such things, the entire place was completely empty.

Watching from across the street, Lee smiled, and then walked off smirking to himself, heading to their private grounds to work out for the day.

Stage one, complete.

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Teuchi smirked, glancing over at Naruto as the boy looked around excitedly, searching for the new ramen he would be blessed with tasting. He wondered how this conversation would go…

Either way, it was going to be so much fun embarrassing the kid.

"So Naruto, the three of you seem to be good friends, huh? You're always hanging out together." Naruto looked over from his searching, thoughts of new ramen momentarily forgotten as he smiled widely.

"Yeah. They really are great people. I'm lucky to have friends like them-"

"And the same concerning you. You're a great kid Naruto…they're lucky to know someone like you." Naruto blushed and rubbed his neck in embarrassment. Teuchi smirked, and leaned back against the wall. "You and Lee, you two look like best friends, like brothers. You really look close. And speaking of close…you seem pretty close to Hi-na-ta…" He grinned widely, as his slow pronunciation of her name sent Naruto into a state of semi-severe blushing, his head turned away nervously.

"W-what are you t-t-talking about? She's j-just a good f-friend…"



"Oh really?" Teuchi grinned even wider, having too much fun with this. "Cause that red look in your face? It shows up whenever she's close to you. Maybe you're allergic to her?"

"H-hey, don't you talk about Hinata-chan like that!" Realizing what he'd just said, Naruto blushed even deeper, still confused as to why thinking of her, or using that suffix, made him so nervous. The old man smiled, and gave the boy a warm, but more serious look.

"Naruto…drop the illusion for a moment." Feeling more secure in the back of the store, hidden from the outside world, Naruto released the henge, his blonde hair seeming to suddenly appear as if wheat had sprouted from his head. Teuchi smiled at the boy's whiskered visage, and motioned him over to his side. Naruto leaned against the wall, confused as the old man ruffled his hair a bit in a playful manner.

"Naruto…no one's ever explained love to you, have they?" Saddened on the inside as the blonde shook his head and gave a curious look, Teuchi, lowered his head for a moment, thinking on how best to explain this.

"Naruto…there's a lot of different kinds of love in this world. You have a few kinds, whether you know it or not. First, there's you and Lee." The thought of the two chatting away happily brought a grin to the older man's face. "The way you two care about each other, how you work to help the other, how you'd do anything for each other…that's the love between friends. It's a very strong love, one that can make people give their lives for each other."

Teuchi took on a sterner look for a second as he looked down at the boy. "It's a great thing Naruto, friendship and the love between friends. Never take advantage of it, ok?" Seeing the serious nod Naruto gave, he sighed mentally, knowing part of this was over. Maybe he was better with speeches than he thought.

"The, there's a love between family members…a mother making you the focus of her entire world, a father doing anything to keep you safe, brothers and sister looking out for you. Being able to come home and know they're there to support you…" Teuchi paused, as he saw Naruto was looking towards the floor, his visage saddened. Feeling a pang of guilt for talking about something he already knew Naruto didn't have, the older man kneeled down, and pulled Naruto into a deep hug. Stunned, it took a few seconds for Naruto to snap out of it and hug back tightly, feeling relief and comfort in the embrace. It was like the world had melted away…somehow, in the arms of this man, young Naruto felt like the world itself couldn't touch him…

Finally they broke apart, and Teuchi smiled and the small smile on Naruto's warmer face. "That feeling Naruto…that's kind of what love between families is like. Ayame and I…I want you to consider us like unofficial family. I can't really afford two kids, so I can't adopt you, but if you ever need someone to talk to, just remember you have family here ok?"



This time, after a few seconds of stunned silence, Naruto initiated the hug, jumping at Teuchi's crouched form and latching on, a few tears soaking the older man's shoulder. There was a lot of love in the room, and happiness…and Teuchi along with Naruto soaked it in, relaxing in the warm feeling.

Naruto wondered, after having listened to the older man, if this was what it felt like to have a father…

And Teuchi, as he comforted the lightly crying child, smiled.

He'd always wondered what having a son felt like…

Finally, they broke apart again, and Teuchi smiled as Naruto wiped away the few marks of tears, gazing at him happily. The older man stood, and leaned back against wall again.

"Now Naruto, there's one last love I want to talk to you about…you know what? I'll save it for another day. I doubt you'd understand…it's something you feel rather then get explained to you. Anyway, before that last love, there's a stage called…well, you should think of it as 'like like'." Naruto, upon hearing this, gave Teuchi the look one gives to a person who just suggested nonchalantly that they go get a cockroach and horseradish sandwich…one of non-plus confusion.

"…Like like? Um…old man, you do realize that makes no sense, right?" Teuchi laughed hard, even despite Naruto's even more confused look. He finally calmed down, and grinned knowingly again at the innocent blonde.

"No, 'like like' is a real thing Naruto. It's how you feel for someone beyond a friend…usually it's a girl if you're a boy, and a boy if you're a girl. Now…you know about kissing, don't you?" Naruto nodded, having remembered it being described in a conversation he'd overheard once…he hadn't understood at the time why it was done, just how it worked with the lips and everything. Teuchi grinned; he was glad he didn't have to demonstrate that. "We'll come back to that later. Now, I don't remember you ever using the chan suffix out loud for her name before…you may not know it, but it's added onto a girl's name by a boy when they 'like like' a girl…or when they want to insult a boy. Either way."

"'Like like' girls, insult boys…got it."

"Good. Now, let me describe what it's usually like to 'like like' a girl." Teuchi grinned evilly inside; here was where the really fun part began. "You might start looking at a girl that was a friend of yours…differently. You may suddenly notice she's very cute…and you have trouble getting that thought out of your head. You get nervous around her, and suddenly find you might start blushing for the first time in your life…you want to spend time with them, more then you did as a friend, and any time you hug them, or even have slight physical contact, sends you into state of nervousness…"



Throughout Teuchi's entire explanation, Naruto's cheeks had begun reddening, and by the time it got to that point they were ripe as tomatoes… hell, his whole face was. The reason? He thought about Hinata as the older man went…and found everything about that 'like like' thing matched how he felt about Hinata…

At least, the description covered part of how he felt…

"And of course, there's the biggest sign you 'like like' someone…you think about kissing them. It's something people who 'like like' each other and are a couple do at times. So Naruto…ever think about kissing Hi-na-ta?" Teuchi grinned, seeing the boys face redden more if it was even possible. Naruto himself had never thought about kissing Hinata…or anyone for that matter. He didn't understand why. But suddenly he had a mental image of Hinata's cute face close to his, their lips moving closer together, almost touching…

"You have, haven't you?"

"N-no…"

"Ah, but you did just now, didn't you? You thought about her lips touching yours, hugging her close to you…" Teuchi snickered, seeing Naruto look down bashfully. "It's alright kid; all kinds of people feel like you do about other people, it's natural."

"Yeah, but…" Naruto looked up, confusion still in his face. "How do I know if she likes me back? I mean…I dunno about just asking her…"

"Well, the easiest way is to ask out on a date…oh yeah, that's where you invite her to come with you somewhere, usually someplace to get lunch, or dinner, and you should pay for it." Teuchi grinned, already imagining the two coming into his place for their first date. "If she says yes and wants to go on one again, it's a good sign she likes you…and the best of course is if she kisses you if you try to kiss her. You gotta take a chance to see if someone 'like likes' you my boy…but nothing good was ever gotten easily." Teuchi smirked, and then frowned a bit. Naruto still looked unsatisfied and confused. "What is it?"

"Well…I don't know if I 'like like' her… I mean, I feel everything you described…and now I can't help but think about the k-kissing…" His cheeks flamed, but then doused themselves as he continued. "But I feel more then that…so I don't know." Teuchi raised an eyebrow, wondering what else it could be. Maybe his feelings as a friend were conflicting? In any case, Teuchi motioned for Naruto to continue.

"I…I don't know what this is but…she's very special to me. Lee is too, he was my first friend, and he's my best friend now…and you and Ayame-neechan were the first to acknowledge me…and old man Hokage helps look out for me…you're all very special to me." Naruto smiled shyly, and then continued. "But Hinata…I don't know. I look at her and…and it's like everything goes away. Like I could look at her, only her, forever, and I'd be happy. I feel so sad 

when she's down, and like I'd do anything to make her smile…I can't stop thinking about her once I start, until something outside of my own mind interrupts me…I feel like she's special. More special than anything. Like if she disappeared, you'd never find another person like her. Like without her, something in me feels empty. I…I know this may sound weird, and I don't know why, but…I'd do anything for her." Naruto look up, and his eyes stared into Teuchi's, confused, but with a firm resolution in his next words.

"I'd even die for her."

"I know it sounds weird, but if she was ever going to die, I'd give my life for hers…I don't understand though. Why? Why do I feel like that? It isn't just 'like like'. Why does she make me feel this way?"

Teuchi stared down at the younger boy, his eyes wide in complete and utter shock. He...he hadn't known what to expect when Naruto started talking, but this…he wouldn't have expected this for another 8 years at least. But the way Naruto said it so solidly, so truthfully…

"Naruto…that's how a lot of people describe that last form of love." Seeing Naruto again look confused, Teuchi slowly slid down to sit against the wall, and motioned Naruto over to sit next to him. "To feel like that…like someone completes you and makes you more than what you, are, like you need them in your life forever…to care so much that you'd die for them…that's what it can feel like to love someone. It's why people marry Naruto. Marriage is a sign of two people declaring their love for one another. That they want to spend their lives together in the happiness they give each other. To feel those feelings for no one else but each other. ((A.N.: And I feel that way about both types of marriage. Same sex marriage is ok, and there is NOTHING wrong with it damn it!))

"That is love…can you imagine that kind of life, loving no one else but Hinata?"

"…" Naruto looked down and said nothing, his arms hugging his knees, his head looking straight down to the ground. Long minutes passed in silence, where Teuchi watched the boy's brow crinkle in deep thought…Good Kami. The boy was really thinking about it. Teuchi had thought maybe Naruto was just being a little hyperbole with his words but…maybe he really felt it. As amazing as it would be for a 10 year old to feel in such a way, maybe Naruto truly loved Hinata. Teuchi felt like nothing could surprise him after this little experience. Finally, Naruto looked up, and a small smile was gracing his features.

"Yes. Yes. I could see myself with Hinata like that...forever. I…" Naruto looked back down, his cheeks red but his smile still present. "I really do think I love her. With all of my…my heart."

Teuchi smiled, and laid a hand gently on Naruto's shoulder, causing the boy to look back up.

"You should feel special Naruto, and proud. Most people can be 8 years older than you before they feel that kind of love…some go much longer, most of their lives even before they find 

someone to love…and some, some never find anyone to love, and never feel love themselves." Teuchi frowned, and gave Naruto a serious look. "Never take advantage of love Naruto. It's an amazing thing. And more than that…pity those who have never felt love. Those who have been told what it is, and do not wish to feel or share it. Those unwilling to feel any kind of love at all…one wonders if they are truly alive in this world…" ((A.N.: Bit of a philosopher there, ain't he?))

Naruto looked down again, and let himself take the words to heart before a new thought came to mind, one that made him look up again…this time with some fear.

"And what… what if she doesn't love me back? I mean…thinking about how she acts, I think she 'like likes' me…but if she doesn't love me?"Naruto's hand reached for his hearty, gripping the shirt there tightly. "If she didn't return how I feel…how strongly I love her…I don't know if I…" He trailed off, unwilling to think of how crushed he would be. He started to shake, silent and tearless sobs wracking him at thinking of something so horrifying. Teuchi sighed sadly, and took the boy into a gentle hug.

"Then she doesn't love you Naruto…it may not be meant to be. Not everyone who loves another is loved back. They fall apart, or do stupid or dangerous or even evil things because of it. Even strong hearts can be crushed by a loss of love."

"But always remember…to be able to feel such things…to feel such a strong love as you do…it means you're very strong, in both heart and soul. You're alive in a way only others who feel or have felt love will ever understand…and you should be proud to feel such things. Ok?" As the sobbing finally subsides, Naruto stilled in Teuchi's comforting embrace and nodded. Obviously shaken, but more calm about that idea of Hinata not returning his love. It was something he'd just have to deal with if it came…but he could still hope.

Teuchi smiled, and helped the boy up, rubbing his tears dry with a clean rag from nearby.

"Alright then. Let's get back out there. They're probably wondering what's taking so long to taste the new ramen, huh?" Naruto nodded, so shaken by the conversation, and so full of new thoughts about his feelings towards Hinata-chan that he'd completely forgotten about tasting what at this point obviously didn't exist.

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(In announcer voice from reeeally old justice league cartoons) Meanwhile, back in the dining area of Ichiraku, a minute or two prior to where the last conversation left off…

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Ayame at this point sighed internally. The last 5-10 minutes had been simply exhausting mentally. The whole conversation had been more intense then she'd thought possible. She'd gotten to the part about the possibility of Hinata 'like liking' Naruto. The whole thing had gone just as she and her father had planned. Hell, she'd gotten a good chuckle when the possibility of kissing Naruto was mentioned…it was amazing Hinata's head hadn't burst into flame. It should have ended there, and the whole thing done and over with.

Instead, Hinata had then started talking about feelings for Naruto other than just 'like liking' him. About a deep connection with the boy, about how she felt like it was only with him that everything seemed…right with the world. How she wanted to erase every sad moment in his life and make sure he never felt them again. How…how she'd even give her life, if it meant he could live one full of a happiness she knew he deserved.

Ayame had actually started to blush there. It was so romantic…but coming from a 10 year old? Incredulous. Yet the younger girl was deeply set in what she said, truthful and unwavering as the Hokage mountain. Ayame smiled, and then took the girl into her side, and from there, the conversation had branched into love. It actually went almost identically the same to Teuchi's conversation with Naruto- blushing, tears, fear, sobs, love, comfort and all.

Finally, Ayame was looking down at a slightly teary-eyed Hinata, sniffling a little, but looking happier than when she'd been sobbing...and definitely wiser for the conversation.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you two could be happy together…and if anyone would deserve love from someone like Naruto, it's a girl as kind and good as you are." Seeing Hinata brighten up more, Ayame smirked. "Heck, if I wasn't about 9 years older, I'd be hoping he asked me out…"

Hinata looked as if she had been about to start going on a jealous, angry rant about Naruto-kun…except right then Teuchi and said blonde walked back out of the kitchen. The two kids blushed upon seeing each other, but smiled shyly.

"So…we gotta hurry to meet Lee for training, right?"

"Y-yes…" After a quick henge to hide himself, the two ran off. Teuchi and Ayame walked out of the shop, watching the kids move into the distance.

"Well…that was definitely an interesting experience…" Ayame giggled at her father's words, having an idea of what those two _boys_ might have discussed.

"Oh dad…you didn't get to the birds and the bees did you? They're only ten…" Teuchi stammered, and gave his daughter a look like she'd decided to quit and work at the dango shop on the other side of the village.



"W-what?! No, we didn't talk about THAT! Jeez, such mistrust from my own daughter…" Before a reply could be made, his face settled into a thoughtful stare, thinking about his conversation. "He's…a lot more mature then he should be."

"Why, did he already get the 'like like' thing and Lee was just mistaken?"

"No. He…" Teuchi paused, thinking this would be a hard story to sell. A 10 year old kid feeling like he did…

"Naruto…he has it bad Ayame. I know it'll sound crazy but…he's completely in love with her." His daughter's eyes widened. It couldn't be. No, it was too much of a coincidence. It was crazy to think of a love story like this between two little kids, but…

"Are you serious dad?"

"As serious as Naruto was. You should have heard him Ayame… it's like she's his world. When I asked him, he seriously stated he'd want to spend his life with her. He'd do anything to make Hinata smile. He even said he'd die for her…his eyes were so serious Ayame. It felt like he'd even kill for her…" His eyes closed, as if in reminiscence, before opening to look down at his daughter. "I felt the same as he did when I knew I loved your mother, Kami rest her soul. It wasn't the misunderstood thoughts of a little kid. It was a deep, mature love Ayame…and I hope to Kami Hinata feels the same." He sighed, and look up in very deep thought before continuing. "You should have seen him…when the possibility of her not returning his love came to mind…he almost broke down. He was sobbing; shaking…I could practically feel how depressed and horrified he became. If she doesn't love him back…I worry about the boy Ayame."

His daughter sniffled a bit, touched but the story…and then smiled as she remembered her own conversation with said girl.

"Well, I don't think that will be a problem…" She grinned as her father turned to her, looking like he'd have a heart attack if she said what he thought she was going to say. "Yes dad. She feels exactly the same. It was so touching…she really loves Naruto. She'd go to the end of the earth and back for him, you could feel it. And she had that same terrible thought of him not loving her back…I was worried I wouldn't be able to comfort her." The girl sighed, and smiled in the direction the two had long disappeared in. "Those two…they really are going to be a lucky couple when they figure it out."

"Yeah…" The two stood there, just smiling and basking in the warm thoughts of the possible future couple… when Teuchi turned to Ayame and smirked a bit evilly. "Now, if you know so much about love, how come you haven't met anyone? I do wanna have a grandkid or two you know…"

If this had been an anime show (and as always, it's silly to think such things), tics of anger would be forming in the back of her head…but of course it wasn't such a thing. As it was, Ayame 

smacked her father on the back of the head hard, and with a cry of "Pervert!" walked back to the counter.

Teuchi rubbed his head, then chuckled, and made his way to the kitchen. As if whatever higher power had granted them so much alone time for the conversations was satisfied, customers had started to come in again…and he had a lot of work to do.

Making ramen, helping to build new love… he'd definitely be able to tell his future grandkids that his job had never been boring.

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The past few weeks had been hard on the three friends.

Naruto and Hinata had predictably been having even more trouble around the other, unable to ask the other on a date, and unable to quench their thoughts of love. It seemed like a hunger...one that would be unsatisfied by a date, by 'like like'. It felt like each had to be loved by the other…or nothing. High stakes in this game of love.

Lee, who had helped orchestrate the whole ordeal, and was glad his friends understood their feelings, was waiting for them to finally just get it over with.

The only thing that had been hard on him was the pain in his sides from holding it in whenever he wanted to laugh at the tension between his friends.

However, it was near the end of the third week that something happened. Naruto had been sitting alone with Shih in the woods, playing his violin gently. Shih lean against the blonde, taking in the soothing melody. Truth be told Naruto had gotten pretty good…but lately, if Hinata wasn't on his mind when he played, he felt uninspired.

Naruto set the instrument down suddenly, looking to his friend/companion with a sad look.

"What do I do Shih? I don't know how to love someone…I feel love, but I don't know if she even feels the same. And…and she's amazing. Sometimes I feel like I don't even deserve a cute angel like Hinata-chan…" He sighed and lay back onto the grass, looking up at a clear blue sky. "I mean, I'm probably rushing into this. Like a blind person rushing into-" And at that he stopped. The words love and blind kept repeating in his head for some reason. And he thought of her eyes…her beautiful moon-like eyes. Anyone who didn't know about her clan would think she was blind.

Blind…

Blind…



Love…

Love…

Blind Love…

"Oh blind love…" Without even realizing it, Naruto had started singing the words, his high tenor making each word sound as if it came from the mouths of an angel's choir…at least to his mind. He was singing about a girl he loved though, so it was understandable.

Inspiration struck him suddenly, harder than anything he'd ever thought of. Motioning Shih into his shadow, Naruto raced home as fast as possible, instrument secure in its case.

He needed paper.

And pen.

And fast.

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It was a week later when it happened. Naruto had sent Shih during the night, and the little black Heartless, devoid of chakra, had made an easy infiltration of the Hyuga compound. The guards, so accustomed to sensing intruders by detecting their chakra, didn't even seem to notice any shadows that appeared…off.

Having made his way into Hinata's room, Shih quietly awoke Hinata and handed her a note from Naruto, telling her to meet him the next day at sunset atop the Hokage monument alone. Practice was cancelled for the day.

Lee had been sent only a curt reply that practice was cancelled…yet somehow the thick-eye browed wonder knew what this was probably about, snickered, and went back to sleep, planning to enjoy sleeping in late.

As for Hinata, she was blushing up a storm…yet again. Naruto…or in her mind _her_ Naruto, had sent her a letter in the middle of the night, and one asking her to meet him alone. Shih eye-smiled at the sight, and then left as quietly as he'd come.

She sat awake for a while, contemplating the message. There was a part of her a small part, that wondered. Could this…could it be something special? Did…did he want to be alone with her because he 'like liked' her…or dare she say it, loved her? It took a few moments for the rational part of her mind to sadly stomp that idea down. Naruto had grown up with no parents, and had never received any love except in the form of his friendship with her and Lee. She'd never gotten 

anything from her family, save some kindness from the Branch family, and had been lucky enough to have that talk with Ayame…Naruto couldn't understand what she felt.

Maybe…maybe tomorrow, she'd try explaining love to him…and see if he felt the same. She knew the risk there; that she could forever change their friendship…maybe even end it. But in her mind…yes, it was worth it if Naruto would come to love her, as she loved him. And if not…she'd still try to hold onto her friendship with the amazing boy known as Naruto Uzumaki.

She realized right then, that a good portion of her world revolved around that boy.

Sighing sadly, Hinata fell back onto her pillow, thinking of a blonde, angel-voiced boy as she nodded off.

_Well, I can hope._

_Yes, I can always hope, even if it may never come true…_

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Naruto paced around in the light of the beginning of the sunset. He walked along the ground right behind the heads of the Hokage. His violin lay to one side, with Shih just watching his 'master' pace.

Naruto wrung his hands nervously. The more he thought about it, the more he thought this was a horrible idea. He'd been lucky to have that talk with Teuchi...considering the family Hinata lived with, how he possibly expect her to understand? She wasn't dumb…hell, she was one of the smartest people Naruto knew. But she'd never been told about love like he had, and only knew love from friends like him and Lee, even if she didn't think of it as love.

Was really going to do this, risk alienating one of his only two friends, all for a feeling the girl probably wouldn't understand? Would he risk shattering his happiness so young, for something he'd only come to understand only a few weeks ago? And with a song about love for that matter?

And yet even as he asked that question, he knew it was yes. The more he thought about it, the more he knew Hinata meant so much to him. He felt like her approval, her support, in certain ways was worth more than old man Hokage's or Lee's ever would. That without her, he'd forever feel some measure of depression. Naruto realized that in some not small way, a good amount of his world revolved around Hinata Hyuga. And this song…it was his best, his only chance to convey that…

And as if summoned by the thought, he saw her appear in the distance, walking right for him. Naruto froze. His hands felt sweaty and jittery, his throat thick and blocked. His knees were 

melting butter. His head was dizzy. And yet..the entire thing was punctuated with the feeling he felt upon seeing Hinata…such peace and happiness, like all was right in the world.

_This feeling…this love…it's worth the risk. She makes me feel so happy…I can't go without that happiness._

Smiling, the girl approached her secret love, her light blush matching his own.

"Hello, Naruto-kun…"

"Hinata-chan…I…uh…" Naruto gulped, and steadied himself before continuing. "I made a song… my first original one…and I was hoping you could listen to it, and tell me what you think." Hinata smiled. While she was saddened inside that her vain hope hadn't come true, she enjoyed watching him play and sing for her and Lee, and was sure something he had composed himself would be wonderful.

"Of course I will Naruto-kun. You know I like listening to you." Naruto lit up, and once his face finally returned to its normal color, he removed his violin from the case, and sat down on the ground, motioning her to do the same. They both blushed lightly for a moment, as Hinata had chosen to sit right next to the boy.

"I…this song…I made it after a conversation I had with Teuchi, that day he took me into the back of his shop. He talked to me about a few things…and about something called love. He talked about how families care for each other, and how friends do the same, and said it was the love between family, and the love between friends." Hinata, face unchanging, was shocked inside. That conversation…sounded just like what she'd been told by Ayame. Naruto couldn't be…there wasn't a chance…could he?

"Then he told me about another kind of thing…'like liking' someone…and loving them. He said…loving someone was like…you feel as if your world revolves around them. Like they make you feel complete, and alive, more than anyone or anything ever will. You want them to be with you always, to share that feeling and give it in return…when I thought about it later, it seemed like a blind person suddenly seeing the light…how you don't seem to know you're in love till one day, when it's suddenly clear. At least, he made it kinda sound that way. Love…that's what inspired this song."

_No, he isn't… he can't be…_

"And…you inspired it as well." That did it, Hinata's face turned bright red, as she choked, stunned by what she'd just heard uttered from Naruto.

"W-w-what do you mean?" Naruto steeled himself, knowing this was it. Either she'd understand and find she felt the same, or he'd change things between them forever…



"Hinata…those feelings…what he said it feels like to be in love, to need love back from someone else and want to give love to them…I…I feel that way about you…I love you." Before she couldn't even think of her response, of how to even think of how to say she felt the same, he reached over, picked up the bow, and started to play.

His violin…always had it ensnared Hinata's ears…but now, it seemed as if the music had new life to it. Never before had it seemed to hauntingly emotional to her…as if his love played a silent music alongside it. And his voice…it seemed to carry that same love. If she'd thought he sounded angelic before, his voice had suddenly become heavenly.

Naruto didn't look up at her. Not once throughout the entire song. Neither did Hinata do anything but stare straight at him. There was nothing…nothing but his voice, and the music that accompanied it.

((**IMPORTANT A.N.:**Ok, this song is entitled "Oh Blind Love". I have checked multiple lyrics websites including LetsSingIt, and have googled and yahooed extensively. There is no song with this title or lyrics. It is MY original song, and I have the lyrics in a WORD folder with the creation date. Anyone wishing to use this song must credit me. I am NOT plagiarizing.

The best way I can figure to explain the rhythm of the song is that each line lasts 2 second of time when sung. Words in this song are sung and held for certain amounts of time. If you count one two three four for every half second and the line ends on four, you're reading this right. The bow he uses to play the violin takes two seconds to go up, then 2 seconds to go down…and that same exact pattern repeats throughout the entire song.

For example, the first line is 'Oh Blind Love,". That line should last 2 seconds, or 4 half seconds counted as 1,2,3,4. That's the rhythm for the entire song and there's no pause between verses. I'm taking up space describing this because since it's my song, I want people to get the rhythm in their heads as close as possible to what I know it is. If anyone understands what I'm saying and can think of a clearer way to say it, please tell me.))

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me look upon her face._

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me see her angle's grace._

_Beneath her hair there lies within_

_A quick and tactful mind,_

_But lower still is her young heart_

_So warm and soft and kind._

_No writer's hand upon a page_

_No painter's special grace,_

_No sculptors hand upon the stone_

_Could ere remake her face._

_Her hair like darkened silk to me_

_Arrayed upon her head,_

_Her features stay within my mind_

_Long after I am dead._

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me look upon her face._

_Oh blind love, _

_Let me see her angel's grace._

_But most of all's her soft pale eyes_

_So full of joy and life,_

_A tint of lavender is there_

_Along with peace and strife._

_Those eyes I feel will never let me_

_Rest until I'm gone,_

_For they are the loveliest _

_I've ever looked upon._

_This angel that I speak of_

_Makes me feel a peace so new,_

_And now I that it's born of_

_My love for her so true._

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me look upon her face._

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me see her angle's grace._

_This love is new and yet I feel_

_It's true without a doubt,_

_My world's complete when I'm with her_

_Shattered when I'm without._

_I'd live forever if I could_

_With only her that is no lie,_

_And I would want for nothing more_

_Until the day I die._

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me look upon her face._

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me see her angle's grace._

_But ask me to describe her_

_And there no harder goal,_

_How can one describe an angel_

_Who makes his heart lose control?_

_The best way I suppose is to_

_Speak of the sweetest part,_

_How her life has brought peace, joy_

_And true love into my heart._

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me look upon her face._

_Oh blind love,_

_Let me see her angle's grace._

_And let me look upon…_

_Her…_

_Faaaace…_

Naruto set down the violin. His eyes never left his lap. Those deep blue eyes, which even know were moist with unshed tears, tears unseen by Hinata…whose lavender-tinted eyes also held unshed tears. For over a minute, not a sound was heard. Not a movement made, by them or Shih. Finally, Naruto spoke, his voice soft, and the fear of what may happen next was more than evident.

"I won't be mad if you don't feel the same…if you only want to be friends…but I couldn't stand it anymore. I never understood why you made me feel these things…and then when I was told, of 'like like', and love…it all clicked. I love you Hinata Hyuga…I have for some time, and I know no matter what, I always will…" He looked up slowly at her, their eyes meeting. They both saw each other's unshed tears. And in their hearts, they felt love for the other.

And then…they saw it. In each other's eyes, they saw the emotion and love they felt and knew reflected back at them, clear as a crystal spring.

No words were exchanged. No sound was made. They only leaned over slow, and their eyes closed as their lips met ever so softly.

It was no passionate kiss, for they were too young to understand lust or passion. There was no groping, no tongue, no mashing of lips and bodies. Their arms, feeling light as air, encircled the other, holding their backs gently as their lips softly touched, barely pressing back in the slightest. 

And as the unshed tears flowed down their cheeks in that release of emotion, in-between those lips flowed love, care, and peace that they both had wanted from the other. And in that kiss they felt complete, more so than they'd ever felt before…

Finally they broke apart softly, smiling that wide, happy, wonderful smile that true lovers smile. They did not blush, for their happiness was too great to feel embarrassment. They only stared at one another, drinking in the moment, wanting to remember it forever…

"Love me…please Naruto…make me feel this happy always… and let me do the same for you…"

"Hinata…yes…yes, I will. I'll give you all the love you deserve and more…before you, if I'd known of love, I'd think that with the burden I'd borne before, no one would ever love me. Please, give me your love…I'll give you my heart in return…that's all I ask of you…"

The two of them gently hugged into the other, cheeks resting against each other as they basked in their love and the light of the setting sun…

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Shih eye-smiled at them, at the perfect scene before him, and in his heart he felt joy for the two…and sorrow, that he'd never felt such love with another in his life. The other Heartless…he didn't want that kind of relationship with them.

Even if it was physically possible, he didn't want it. Not after what he'd done when he was alive…he didn't deserve the love these two were sharing.

He was monster now, inhuman.

No…he was more human now. What'd he done in life…that was what made him a monster. It was why he served Naruto, helped such an amazing, seemingly pure child like him…it was repentance for his actions in life.

Unlike other hearts, which he could see, Shih couldn't see a second heart in Naruto...meaning the Kyuubi was gone. It only proved the boy wasn't a demon entrapped, as he'd believed in life. It only made serving the boy seem all the more right…a way to make up for his living stupidity.

Shih's thought wandered painfully for a few seconds to his memories of his life…

And where his soul might be now, and what other horrors that Nobody had done…

Suddenly, the two broke apart, and noticed him. They smiled, and motioned Shih over. Sliding across the ground, Shih reformed and leapt into their laps, and nuzzled into the welcoming embrace the couple had waiting for him. Shih smiled in his heart. At his age…the age he'd 

reached in life anyway, he was now acting like a child…he was acting like a child…and he loved it. Never had he felt such giddiness, such happiness before.

He had always liked the name given to him when Naruto gave his heart a new body of Darkness. Shih…yes, he preferred it to his old name. He knew that he would never be able to forget who he was, and what he'd done…

But as he laid there with twilight setting in, in the arms of these two caring people, he finally felt reborn, as if he was Shih now.

He WAS Shih.

A Heart.

A Heartless.

A Shadow.

A servant and guardian of Naruto, his friend, and his love.

And for Shih, that would be more than enough.

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((A.N.: Nice huh? Had to restrain myself from letting unshed tears form. Well, I thought that last line was a great place to stop, but there's a little bit more I had to get in since a time skip is soon to come. Oh well.))

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The next day, Lee was waiting in the training field, foot tapping the ground in anticipation. That and worry. He had no idea what had happened yesterday, and for the two of them to be late was something that had never happened before. Lee worried for his friends, and what might have happened between them.

And then Lee saw them approach from far of…and smiled widely. Naruto and Hinata were holding hands, and talking amiably… but there was none of the nervousness, the tension he'd seen and chuckled at before. There was something different there…they both seemed so happy. He could tell instinctually, without question; they'd told each other they liked each other. Lee smiled, and then sighed; hoping one day he'd meet a girl that made him feel like Naruto looked right now.

"Well, it's about time you two got here." Lee walked over to the couple and grinned at them. "So, anything interesting happen yesterday? I mean, it's about time you two realized you like each 

other." He'd expected them to blush and let their hands go. A couple yes, but he expected them to beat least a tiny bit embarrassed about it. He didn't expect them to smile at each other, then back at him.

"Lee…Naruto and I…we don't like each other…we love each other." Lee raised a set of bushy eyebrows, surprised at the word being used.

"That's…a very strong word. Are you sure it isn't just a mutual crush?" Naruto only chuckled, and squeezed his love's hand tighter.

"No Lee…Hinata…she makes me feel complete, like life is perfect…Teuchi and I had a talk, and he explained love to me…and I know without a doubt, that's what I feel in my heart." As Hinata nodded to indicate the same, Lee's mouth dropped a bit in shock…then settled into a small smile.

"I see…it's not just an overreaction…you both really mean it. Well then, I wish you both long years together…" Lee smiled for the new loving couple, and then grinned. "Heh, when I told Ayame and Teuchi about this a few weeks ago, I didn't think this would come of it."

Naruto and Hinata hadn't at any point last night considered the strange fact that they'd both gotten a talk on 'like like' and love at the same time. Suddenly it made sense to them…and Lee's words…he had…

The air temperature suddenly seemed to drop a bit, as anger tics appeared on the couple's foreheads.

"You…talked to people about us…in private…and planned that whole thing?" Lee stepped back nervously, trying to remember if the woods behind him would be good to slow his now angry friends down…

"W-wait! If I hadn't done it, y-you to w-wouldn't have hooked up like you have…er, eh heh…" Naruto and Hinata each raised a hand and snapped. In front of them respectively appeared 10 Shadows and 10 Dusks. Naruto's eyes blazed as he spoke.

"Today's practice…evading a larger attacking force…" He looked over his and Hinata's 'troops'. "Don't kill or hurt him…just bring him back for tickle torture."

And as Lee ran off, empowered Hearts and Souls hot on his heels, Naruto and Hinata turned to each other, and smiled warmly as they came into a very soft, innocent embrace.

"I love you."

"I love you too." And the two of them rested their heads on each other's shoulders, enjoying the warm, sunny day. They thought of each other…and how they'd get stronger, in skill, in chakra, in their special powers, and how someday they'd make a wonderful life for themselves.



They stood happily and thought of all this…even as Lee ran around the clearing, crying for mercy.

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_**Preview:**_

_Me: Well, it's always a joy writing these chapters for you guys._

_Me: Unfortunately, there will be a few chapters before the time skip, and none of them will directly involve Naruto, Lee, or Hinata._

_Me: The reason is there are plot thing that will be worked out. I know this makes no sense, which is why the next chapter won't have any story in it, and instead will be dedicated to explaining how the next few chapters are going to work._

_Me: Please keep reading, giving great reviews, and PLEASE read author notes, and the stuff I type before a story starts and after previews. There's important info there, and I get questions from you guys you wouldn't be asking if you'd actually read it._

_Next time: __**An author's method to madness. This stuff doesn't concern you Naruto!**_

_Me: Ja ne!_


	7. An Author's Method to Madness

You'll all die in seven days.

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Seven**

_**An author's method to madness. This stuff doesn't concern you Naruto!**_

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You'll all die in seven days.

Surprised by that fact? You shouldn't be. Because if you'd read the stuff before the story starts like I ask you guys to, you'd have seen that and know it already.

Sorry guys. While it won't be the main point of this chapter, I do have some complaints to make to you. Very few of you seem to read what comes before chapters start and what comes after the preview. So, I figured doing it directly like this was the best way.

It's like the quote by John Doe in the movie "Se7en": 'Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.'

Yes, I realize I may alienate people, or cause negative feelings towards me. I may even get hate mail. You know what? I don't care, because this is now the only way I can think of to get the point across to some of you.

This chapter, or the first part of it anyway, is my sledgehammer.



I have told you guys certain thing repeatedly, all in the parts before stories start and after they end.

1. Read this stuff!

2. I refuse to combine any weapons, powers, creatures, ect.!

3. I won't be brining in non-Naruto characters!

4. Don't tell me what to do or what I should do; only what you think of what I've done!

5. Please give me some reviewage, and more than 4 words at that!

6. Please vote!

Well, I've gotten very few positive results. After chapter 4, I thought of using specific names in order to make an example…but decided that might be too cruel. However, after it happened again for chapter 6, I decided a few people will be made an example of to get my point across, and give an example to those who may not understand what I'm asking for.

For instance:

Tergar of Konoha: "its an awsome story, all the chapters! How bout, since Lee is supposed to be "body" shouldn't hinata empower him with nothing? i mean it's the essence of nothing, having no body, and don't you need an opposite to know the other? like you need to know hot to know what cold is right? also, for Shino's eyes, i vote not only no eyes, but the eyes as passage ways for bugs to enter and leave his body, and that his clan has a secret jutsu that lets them "see" through their bugs."

See, I take this as giving me an order. If I do something like that, I will…but I hate, HATE when people tell me I should do something. It goes against my vision for one thing, and second, it's not your story. Don't suggest things, tell me how you like what I do. Also, I even said there will be no sharing powers or anything.

And the vote is only to give Shino bug eyes, or no eyes. Don't start adding powers or techniques and stuff onto it, because that isn't what the vote is about.

VFSNAKE: "Well I have to say it is impressive. I love how you slaughtered the villagers in the first chapter. They deserved it. I would say the next thing you should do is have Naruto, Lee, and Hinata interact at the Academy. Have Kiba try to hit on Hinata only for Naruto send the Inuzuka 

packing. Lee gets in a fight with Neji and beats him down(gets tired of the whole "Fate" crap), and Naruto beats the stuffing out of Sasuke. Also I think Naruto needs to dish out some well deserved pain on the villagers. Pranks here, humilation there, and making their lives a living hell. Also I think the Council needs a swift kick in the . Its long overdue. If Naruto is going to have this dark power with Lee and Hinata they might as well use it to deliver some "dark justice"(grins and chuckles evily)."

See? Same thing. There's a lot of thing I'm being told to do here. I consider it a violation of the unspoken rules of reviewing…and it pisses me off.

And for the record, and this is meant for EVERYONE, whether you review or not, Naruto will NOT be spazzy/goofy in this. Any behavior even remotely like that will most likely be far and few in-between. He's going to be kind of like Naruto in "Puppet Master Naruto" (A great story btw) but nicer.

There will also be no pranking, and all of you please, I ask nicely…stop FUCKING telling me to get back at the village, or the council. They haven't even personally been introduced in the story yet, and already you want some kind of horrid justice. NO! If it happens, it'll happen in my way, on my own time.

Innogen VorwandKlugheit: "Cool"

…Ok. I'm glad you enjoy the story, and hope you keep reading, but…how? How is it cool? How do you think I might be lax in one or two areas? And more importantly, how does this help me improve my writing rhythm, tone, or mood?

Look everyone. I know a lot of you are used to more action in stories. You're used to authors not caring about this kind of thing as much as I do. You're used to authors not making this many requests or demands.

But I take my writing very seriously. This isn't just for my amusement: I do this story, and hopefully will do more after it's done, because I challenge myself as a writer.

Ok. I'm done ranting. Now for what you probably all skipped ahead to: news about the story.



The next few chapters will not at all have Naruto, Hinata, or Lee directly in them. The chapters themselves will be spent on character and plot development…you see, things are going to be changing from how canon usually works. Same basic events…but a lot of plot development and stuff will have happened beforehand, or in the background. And I want to get it all out of the way, so that when I do the time skip chapter a few chapters from now, it'll all be out of the way, and I can progress with the story plot wise. I don't want to be writing about Naruto and Hinata, and then suddenly break to something happening miles and miles away.

Also, certain things will require that I get it set up years before the show starts canon wise, so that it will make more sense time wise.

Now, the next chapter I write will involve the only character from Kingdom Hearts to ever be featured in this story…and it'll be the only chapter he's really in. It will also include a short scene involving Akatsuki, where things have changed…you'll see. And also a longer scene involving two beings…well, you'll understand. Know that it'll involve some radical opinions and ideal, that may or may not reflect how I actually think. It'll also be where the paragraph below this one comes into play.

Know now…there are going to be one or two plot events that will seem a bit ridiculous. They'll make sense logically, but you'll all go "Wait, he's making it work by doing THAT?" Sorry, but it's necessary to make my plot and future ideas/fights work…and as long as I have continuity problems, I'LL be satisfied.

After THAT, I plan to do something special. If not original, then rare. A chapter of...vignettes. Or whatever you call them. You know, really short scenes based on one specific character. It's going to include all of Akatsuki, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Danzo. Basically, it's a chapter dedicated to exploring the minds and motives of 'villains' in the show, and how I might see them. Some things will stick to canon. Some, because of a lack of information, and because the manga isn't that far ahead yet, will be theory, or my own interpretation. There will be no one else: DON'T ask me to include people.

And, as a special treat to try and make up for my harsh words, there's a bonus. Even though he isn't a villain (In a certain context anyway: you'll see.), Shih will get his own special scene here 

too. And yes: the true identity of who Shih is, who his heart is and was in life, will be revealed! And like I promised in the before-chapter writing one or 2 chapters ago, you're heartstrings will twang. Or at least I'll try to pluck them.

After THAT chapter, I'll finally be ready to start working on the time skip chapter. I know there is a lot of character development and plot development, and not too much plot progression. But I like doing it all at once, getting it out of the way.

Well, that's it. For my ranting, and the important announcements. Time to soak my wrists and fingers, relax after the stress of getting this personal-record-in-pages-and-words chapter onto the web, and then start working on chapter eight. It's been a lot of fun overall for me so far, and I hope you all continue to enjoy it. Let's make it a good, fun ride while it lasts.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. I want to make a chapter one day, filled with nothing but omakes involving Shih. But I mean, like short story omakes. A minimum of 5 pages. If you want to write one, send it to me in a private message. If I get at least 10, I'll make the chapter, and maybe write one of my own…but not likely. I'm not good at them.

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_**Preview:**_

_??: After all I've done, the evil of darkness still exists?! Inconceivable!_

_xxx_

_??: Master?_

_??: Our plans…they will need to move ahead of schedule. Do not question me. We must collect the following containers now, and save THESE two for last…_

_xxx_

_??: I will not stop; I will NEVER stop, until ALL darkness in existence falls to the righteous glory of the light!_

_And this…this shall be my final act, to ensure that the glory of this weapon of the light continues!_

_xxx_

_??: And yet, to do it this way…_

_??: It makes no difference. In the end, the plan will succeed…and our dreams will become reality._

_??: …Such a fool…_

_Next Time: __**Light rages. Visionaries plan. Gods speak. The chessboard has begun to unfold Naruto!**_

_??: It has been a long time, hasn't it brother?_

_??: Yes brother, yes it has…_

Ja ne!


	8. Light ragesVisionaries planGod's speak

Alright. Now, some of you won't like what I'm doing. Through a logical power and events (Or at least logical by the terms of a fanfiction), I'll be causing certain canon facts and events to change. I'm not a fan of this myself. However, certain events require it of me…and hopefully if it all goes right, and there are no continuity problems, I won't ever have to do it again after this chapter…it'll get the ball rolling fast enough for everything else.

Also, I find that while extremely helpful in its own right, the beta reader thing is still kind of complicated to look through. That's why I'm looking for a beta reader. The test will be a review for this chapter. Put "I want to beta!" at the top of the review. I'll then judge the entries, and will post the winner and the runner up at the start of the next chapter. The runner up will be for in case my beta is gone or can't make time for life reasons that I won't hold against them. This is serious: So I only want serious reviews if you want to try for this. I really need someone to give great reviews for every chapter that I can rely on. Not someone who's going to quit after two or three chapters, or go against my review 'pet peeves' every time they beta me.

Also, because I want to give time for any people who want to enter the beta contest to enter, and since I'll need time to seriously consider this, the next chapter, regardless of when I finish it, will not be coming out for a minimum of two months.

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Eight**

_**Light rages. Visionaries plan. Gods speak. The chessboard has begun to unfold Naruto!**_

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The weapon came down upon his enemy. It struck quick and clean, cleaving his foe from head to pelvis. The weapon's wielder watched in satisfaction as his enemy slowly disintegrated. He turned his head this way and that, checking for more of the enemy…but there were none.

The last Shadow had fallen… the last _Heartless_ had fallen.

The war…it was over.

The figure let out a laugh. A small chuckle, it soon rose to a loud, triumphant laugh, one that soon descended into a hacking cough.

He wasn't old. At least he wouldn't appear so if one looked at him. His body was as vibrant looking as it had been a century ago, when the problem of the Heartless became apparent. When 'Ansem', and then Xenehort had both made their move to further their twisted, evil ambitions.

No, he looked just the same, but his spirit had been waning the last 10 years. He could feel it. Every minute, the cold touch of death inched closer to his neck. He'd fought tooth and nail to win this war for that reason: he couldn't bear dying with the Darkness still in existence.

Countless worlds and countless fights. That was all he'd known. And despite all his righteous fighting, he had only one great regret.

He had been blinded once, and strayed from the path.

He'd actually thought, for a short time, that the Darkness just might not be a threat in of itself, that it was only the wielder that might be evil.

What foolishness! How blind he had been!

But following the end of the thirteen, he'd come to see the Light once more…yes, the glorious, wondrous light. Everywhere he looked, he saw users of Darkness…corrupt, vile, laying waste to the peace he'd sworn to create.

They had lifted the cloud over his eyes. He was able to once more see the truth.

Darkness was wicked, and only with the Light could he bring order and justice.

It was the beginning of what in his mind was a great purging. Of every Heartless, every Nobody, of every last bit of Nothingness, and especially Darkness. Despite his love's plea, he broke through the barriers between worlds. He had known the risk, how the Heartless could go between worlds as they'd been able to before…but in his mind it was worth it. He'd eradicate every last one of them, and make sure they never threatened the peace ever again.

His friends…how could they have been so blind? To not see the great threat that the very existence of Darkness posed? And to let that…that abomination walk in their midst? That…that _boy_, who wielded the Darkness and only smiled, as if the two of them were on the same side!



He'd ignored them all for the first 5 years of his fight. But their persistence in trying to convince him to give up his war, to settle down, to stop fighting…eventually he finally stopped and turned to truly look at them all. And that boy… yes, he had been the first to go.

The others had looked at him as if he'd gone mad. He, mad?! All he had done was wipe out a dangerous source of darkness. Those words of peace, of friends…trying to remind him of how he himself had once fought beside that boy in the Darkness, how even he had given the Darkness excuse… it was nothing but an insult to the old warrior's temporary blindness, his one moment of weakness.

The warrior, in the end, had cut down the boy. He had felt no mercy, no pity, and no regret. He'd eradicated Darkness with a weapon of light. The Keyblade had sung righteously in his hands. It had been a necessary fight.

Yes, that entire fight against his old allies had been necessary, if he was to continue his war against the enemies of the light.

And for the terrible Darkness the boy carried…it had obviously been necessary for Riku to be destroyed.

Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Leon, Merlin…they'd all stared at him in abject horror, as _he_ of all people was in the wrong. He was a wielder of Light. A Keyblade warrior. He'd done nothing but rid existence of a being of despicable Darkness.

And what was his reward? They attacked. Threw everything they had at him, after EVERYTHING he'd done for them. It had hurt his very soul, and torn at his heart to kill them…but he was on a quest of the Light. How could he have sat back and let them stop him?

But the worst…the most painful betrayal, most painful kill of all…had been the one who'd only stood frozen during the entire fight…until the warrior had struck down Kairi.

Sora…

To the very day it mystified the old warrior. Sora had been like him. A chosen one. A fighter for light and justice. To have been called wicked and misguided, and yes, even a menace by his old friend…it had cut so deeply.

But in the end, the old warrior's Keyblade cut into Sora deeper.

It had been the hollowest victory of his life. While the fight had been extremely close, considering the power of Sora's heart, as well as the Ultima Weapon Keyblade he wielded, the old warrior had won in the end. He'd be able to continue his path towards the complete eradication of Darkness, and that close second, Nothingness…but Sora had been special. He'd defeated Xenahort's Heartless, something that at the time even the old warrior himself wouldn't have been able to accomplish… it was a loss. Yet it was a gain, in that the warrior had picked up 

Sora's Keyblade. A permanent double wield… and with all the key chains Sora had, the old warrior had held both Ultima Weapon and Fenrir until the war had ended. Truly a boon, a blessing from the light to empower him…it was only sad it came with such a cost.

But it was over now. The old warrior sighed, and repeated an exercise discovered from the middle of the war. He closed his eyes, and let the light flow through him.

It had been an after effect; something accidently caused by his multiple exposures to Kingdom Hearts. By channeling the light, not only could he augment his fighting abilities, but with enough concentration he could spread his consciousness along pockets of light within the hearts of planets he'd visited. It was good for only one thing, but it was perfect for his war: if there was even a shred of darkness, he'd sense it. The light, under his command of course, reacted to the differing presence. Darkness, Nothingness…neither power went unseen beyond his mind.

He'd used it constantly before, sensing which worlds were clean and pure…and which were tainted but those evil powers. He'd scoured the entire universe, down to this final planet.

His mind's eye spread along the light, as it had before.

Through the nameless world he stood on.

Through Simba's world.

Through Jack Skellington's.

Through Hercules'.

Through his own.

Through Alice's.

Through countless worlds, some years of travel away, even for his gummi ship. His consciousness spread out along the Light. And through every one of them, he felt the same thing.

No Darkness.

No Nothingness.

He smiled. The war was truly over. It was a lucky blessing in his mind, especially when his thoughts, for a split second went to his gummi ship…now smoldering wreckage some distance from him. He had no way of escape. He'd surely die on this planet.

Very soon, in fact. He was old despite his looks, and death would come very soon, he could feel it. They probably would never even find this world before his body decayed…but it made no difference. It was done.



It was done.

It was done.

It was done!

IT WAS DONE!  
IT-

And then it happened. It was like the barest flicker in his mind. He almost thought it an illusion, a hallucination brought on by weariness and fatigue. It couldn't be. Hundreds of worlds, thousands of fight. He'd slaughtered every vile Heartless to come his way. It couldn't be!

And yet it was. Like the barest flicker…

He sensed Darkness.

The old warrior was confounded. Mystified. Enraged. No! After all that, it still existed. Where?! He'd scoured the entire universe for mercy's sake! His consciousness pushed out, scanning every world, every moon, every asteroid and comet. Every bit of space. Where was it?

Where-

…

…

No…

Over a century ago, before he had first met the one known as Ansem the Wise, the old warrior had discovered the barriers between worlds. It had taken years for him and the researchers of his world to discover a way to let their gummi ships break through the barrier, at the time unaware of how it would give the Heartless an opening.

He had visited many worlds before the one where Hollow Bastion was located. Once, he'd traveled in the same direction for a month, just past his own world. The opposite direction of where he'd seen the first of the other worlds. After those months of travel, the stars and worlds grew fewer, till nothing remained but space and blackness.

And then, it had happened. Suddenly, his ship had stopped violently, as if it had rammed a wall.

And yet, there had been nothing but empty space in front of him.

He'd pushed the engines till maximum, but to no effect. It had puzzled him…until he tried the ships scanners.

What he discovered had shocked him.



The barriers between worlds appeared on a gummi ships scanners as a sphere surrounding the worlds. Invisible to the naked eye, but clear on a scanner. It required a certain amount of power for a gummi ship to pass, to punch a hole through one. The barrier he had hit at the time, however, was incredibly stronger then the world barriers, and seemed to curve in all directions. It could have only been one thing. He had no true proof, but it couldn't have been anything else.

He'd hit a barrier...between universes, between his own and another.

He'd tried to go through the barrier…only to be stopped. It had required much more power then punching through a world barrier…but his gummi ship succeeded. That had been the good news.

The bad news was what his scanners had shown him only moments after: the barrier remained. In breaking world barriers before, he'd caused them to dissipate completely, never there when he revisited a planet. It was easier for both his ship…and the Heartless. But this…universe barrier, for he was still sure it was such, was still as strong as before…and worst of all, the hole he'd made was already closed. He'd been trapped outside of his own universe.

The old warrior exhausted almost all of his ship's power in trying to punch a hole back in, but he succeeded. It had taken hours until the ship recharged enough to get him back home.

He'd gone back in the previous direction he'd come from, the thought of such a thing hot on his mind…but his meeting soon after with Ansem and the Heartless had driven the entire incident from his mind.

Until today. He felt it. That Darkness…it was faint, but the feeling of the Darkness…it came from beyond that barrier. And as if it wasn't enough, when he stretched his ability to its limit, he felt Nothingness. Right alongside the Darkness, and a second, almost as strong source of Darkness as well.

In fact, he could sense Heartless. Heartless! And Nobodies as well!

The old warrior cut the connection. What a fool he'd been. In what was arguably a righteous quest, he'd forgotten there were universes beyond this. All his work, and yet beyond his own dimension the evil powers might have remained. And now, apparently, they did.

He couldn't survive such a trip, even if he had a working ship. It was the same part of the Universe barrier he'd hit over a century ago. It was many light years away. It would be 2 years of travel. He couldn't last the journey…even now, he felt his life start to fade, each breath becoming more of a struggle.

There was but one thing to do now…a final gambit.

Soon after striking Sora down, he'd found a way to seal Sora's Keyblade into his own. It made travel easier in more peaceful areas... easier to hide one sword-like weapon than two. He sealed it now, and then held his own original Keyblade above his head.



This final act would surely take his life. He began pulling at the Light in his body. The power that despite all it's good, pure wonder, and despite the vastly immense amount he carried, couldn't sustain his spirit. He gathered it into the Keyblade. More and more, as it began to shine.

"I still can't believe it… after all I've done, the evil of Darkness still exists?! Inconceivable! To forget that it, as well as Nothingness, might exist beyond THAT barrier... I was a fool. But no more, not now, in this hour of my death."

The universe barrier was strong; to an extent that it took 5 times the energy needed to break a world barrier, and this was just to make a temporary hole in the giant shield that was the universe barrier. The old warrior had in the power of Light many, many, many times that amount of power.

However, to propel the Keyblade's such a distance… it would take nearly all of his Light to get them that far, and practically all the remaining power just to punch through the barrier. Only a very tiny amount of Light would remain in the weapons; just enough to take on a few Shadows, maybe a Soldier or two…

But that was enough. He'd felt the Darkness and Nothingness just beyond the barrier. Once there, the Keyblade's would be able to move on their own and seek out a strong heart, one able to wield them, to help the weapon's grow in Light, till they were strong enough to eradicate the wickedness of Nothingness and Darkness.

The old warrior then began thinking words in his mind. A short message to accompany the weapons. It was in fact a mental projection of him and with audio as well. A message inset in a sliver of light set into the Kingdom key-chain. To explain the great responsibility the new wielder would now carry.

The light grew brighter, focusing, harnessing itself, until it encompassed the weapon in a ball of pure Light. The old warrior shed a tear for a moment as he stared at such a beautiful sight.

"Even as death comes for me…I will commit my will to the eradication of those two evil powers. The Light shall prevail, and will cleanse the worlds…nay, existence."

"Do you hear me Darkness? Even now, as I knock on death's door, I fight you!"

"I will not stop; I will NEVER stop, until ALL darkness in existence falls to the righteous glory of the light!"

"And this…this shall be my final act, to ensure that the glory of this weapon of the light continues!"

It was done. The ball of light, holding those two precious Keyblades, shot away at an incredible speed. Within seconds, it reached the atmosphere of the nameless planet the old warrior stood on. Within a minute, it was no longer even a dot among the stars.



The old warrior smiled, even as he fell onto his back. His vision wavering, he looked up at the stars. Each one seemed as…as…as a point of Light. As if signifying the Light was everywhere. That it would always remain, to stamp out the evil of Darkness.

"The Light…it is…so beautiful…"

And finally, his eyes closed, and breath stopped.

He was dead.

He was dead.

He was dead.

He was dead.

He was dead.

King Mickey…was dead.

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((A.N.: See pre-story writing of chapter four for comment on this scene.))

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"Mah, Sasori-sempai, I don't see the point of this, yeah? We're all doing our assignments and getting the money on time. It's not like we're running behind, yeah? Why do you think he called us here, yeah?" Sitting to his right at a large round table, Sasori stared back at his partner, wondering as he had before if at one point he'd offended Leader-sama somehow. True, Deidara was a very dangerous shinobi, his exploding clay providing the man with a variety of powerful techniques despite the fact it was his main area of expertise, and virtually his only method of attack and defense. It was even almost…interesting, for lack of a better word, to argue with the younger man about the true nature of art; true, the kid would never understand the concept of everlasting art, Deidara's mind wrapped around the silly idea of art being nothing but 'moments'. But the discussions over their art were very thought-provoking and… yes, almost fun, something he very rarely enjoyed these days.

Yes, Deidara had been a good choice by Leader-sama in these respects… but by Kami was the kid annoying.

"Mah, Sasori-sempai, I-" From within his larger puppet, Sasori turned his head and gaze to his partner almost instantly, the glare shutting the blonde up immediately.



"Deidara…despite my not answering 5 times, you have asked that same exact question, down to the last 'yeah', five times…all within the last 2 minutes. Ask again, and I will be forced to shove Hiruko's tail so far up your possibly retarded ass, people will think you have a metal tongue." The blonde stared wide-eyed at his 'master'…and then smiled that wide, damn annoying smile.

"Sempai, you need to learn to relax. Live for the moment, yeah?" Before Sasori could carry out his threat anyway out of sheer annoyance, a voice from the other side of the table cut into the conversation.

"I wouldn't Sasori," The old man leaned back in his chair as Sasori turned to stare into his eyes. Despite his honest intent to prevent the death of a member of group, Kakuzu was completely enjoying the little scene before him…which was saying something. After a life lived as long as his, very things were original anymore, and therefore entertainment usually wasn't this good. "You should really be more patient. I mean, you kill the boy, and you'll have to answer to…him." At the mention of 'him', all of the members of Akatsuki, whether they had paid attention to the conversation or not, turned their heads simultaneously towards the empty chair at the 'head' of the round table. The Leader of their organization was late, which was unusual...seeing as he'd made a variety of threats in the past over tardiness.

"Fine, but he'd better not take too long. I'm really getting tired of waiting aro- one moment." Hiruko's tail rose up, and swatted away the large mass that had fallen from the rafters. The body rolled to the side, the head still twisted completely around.

Yes, the man had been dead, just as all the people in the small tavern/inn had. It was a very out of the way place, which was why it had been chosen in order to achieve privacy. The problem had come when the members of the group had arrived outside the inn and started discussing how to deal with the men and women inside. Some were for mass genjutsu to keep the discussion to themselves, and others were for simply walking in and scaring everyone out.

After five minutes, however, they'd realized there were terrified screams coming from the inn. They looked around…and sighed. (Except for Itachi, who never sighed.)

After the first 10 seconds of conversation concerning the people inside, Hidan had gotten bored.

After thirty seconds, he was pissed, but still hadn't spoken.

At one minute, he'd gotten fed up and walked off to the side to pray quietly, which went unnoticed.

At 4 minutes and 30 seconds, he'd finished the prayer.

At 4 minutes and 50 seconds, he'd crossed the distance to the door and entered the inn.

And at five minutes, the screaming started.



Kakuzu had given the group a slightly pleading look, as if asking forgiveness for his partner. Finally, a minute later, the screams came to an end. Upon entering the building, it became apparent their Jashin-loving comrade must have either been very annoyed with how long the discussion had been taking, or had been in an especially blood-thirsty mood. Possibly both. Bodies lay strewn everywhere, some intact, other missing anything from a few fingers, an arm, or a leg; a few torsos had been brutally delimbed and beheaded, strewn about tables at random. Others had been crushed upon the rafters, or impaled upon torch stands and chandeliers where they'd been thrown. Even now, blood still continued to drip through the floorboards in the ceiling, evidence of the slaughter that had included the second floor of the inn as well. The other members had only walked over to a large table in the center of the first floor and sat down to wait. The only words spoken had been by Kisame, who paused just long enough to grin in a blood-lusting manner and comment "I approve". Not the impatience, but the mass butchering part. Hidan had only ignored his blue-skinned associate and kept chanting softly from the floor where he lay.

Off to the side, as the body finally stopped rolling, a loud squelching sound of metal impaling flesh was heard, and they turned to see Hidan, the pointy end opposite his scythe impaled into his chest. Saying a last few words of prayer, he removed his weapon, his half hour ritual complete, and then stood, moving to take a seat to the left of Kakuzu. He leaned back and sighed in annoyance, staring at the ceiling as if he hadn't just committed mass murder. Kakuzu stared at him, eyes drawn into a glare.

"…You do realize we're not required to kill every living thing we see, right?" His partner only glared back in annoyance.

"Fuck you. Jashin demands blood; you fucking know that. Besides I'm pissed with our so-called "leader". This guy was late before you all started talking and bitching, he was late when I finished, and he didn't even show the Hell up during my prayer. The bastard is late. He KNOWS I gotta kill something if I wait too damn long…"

"Oh shut up. Stop acting like an impatient child, or next time someone cuts off your head I'll attach it above your ass." As he watched the brief spat continue, Kisame smiled and turned to Itachi, teeth set together in a pointed grin.

"Heh, and we're supposed to be deadly S-rank shinobi. The Kage's would laugh to see us, right?" Soon, Kisame sighed; as always, Itachi somehow kept up his colder than ice routine, which both bugged and freaked the Hell out of Kisame. The only good thing was how Itachi let him have fun with all the weaker targets…he didn't get to 'play' too often. He'd have shaved his partner a bit for that whole ice facade long ago…if the Uchiha wasn't so deadly.

That Tsukuyomi Itachi had told him about… no, it was smart to do what his partner said, no doubt about it. Even if he was amazed by how controlled Itachi's emotions were.



"Kisame, such a thing is pointless to wonder. Leader-sama will be here soon. Until then, just wait."

"…Fine, fine. Really Itachi, I need to get you to laugh sometime. It'll be good for your health." Before a reply could be made, or said joke could be explained by Kisame in attempt to make his partner at least smirk, there was the barest rush of air, the slightest sound. All conversation stopped. 7 heads turned towards one end of the round table…and there, as if they'd been sitting the entire time, were the Leader and his little 'pet', Konan. She seemingly mindlessly fiddled with a small paper crane, making small adjustments. The leader of Akatsuki looked out upon them, the circles in his Rinnegan eyes each seeming to be more eyes glaring out at them all.

"This meeting will be brief, and your new orders will be given out as well. You will then disperse, and use the usual method of concealing your tracks." Looking around and seeing no one commented on orders that might have seemed to come from haste and paranoia, he continued. "I am late because there is now a change in plans. Not a negative one, but it requires our plans to move forward. This-"

"Hey. Hey!" Leader-sama and the other members looked over at Hidan, who was no holding his scythe out in front of him in an obviously hostile gesture. "I'm tired of waiting. The last 3 meetings since I joined, all we do is decide who does which jobs for how much money. You all keep talking about how we're getting ready for some plan, yet it's just money, money, money. You're like Kakuzu, all greedy. It pisses me off. And from the sound of it, you're saying now we'll just be acquiring money faster. So fucking tell me what we're doing already, or I'll cut your chicken-shit head off!" Konan's hands paused in their work. She was contemplating which body part of his to cleanly slice off first, when Pein sent her a barely there gesture of his hand. She relaxed in her seat as the group's boss stood from his.

"If you had waited, I would have gotten to that anyway for your benefit. Now before that, Zetsu. Are all the funds I asked you to account for in place?"

"Yes." "_**Yeah, it's taken care of, no problem**_."

"Good. Now, as you pointed out, we are acquiring a very large amount of funds. That is the first of three basic steps to our organization's plan. The second to come is to form a mercenary group loyal only to us, which will accept missions for payment-"

"But that's what ninja villages do! You're basically forming a half-assed version of one. Hell, if you just get mercenary ninja, it won't even be that. What the Hell good is that going to do us?"

"…Try to think with all of your brain Hidan, and not just the part that screams 'kill' all the time. Yes, that is what we will be doing. And we're going to accept those missions at reduced prices as well. We'll cement a reputation of extremely good results for cheap prices. We'll survive during that period off the money we are still acquiring."



"Right, but how the fuck-"

"Alright, now shut up, because he's where you'd better pay attention, because I'm not explaining it again. When are shinobi villages most profitable? In war. It is their true purpose after all, as the true armies of the Daimyos during war. Are the 5 great countries at war at all? No. Not openly, and not even really in secret, at least not for the moment. Every time the war's end, only the five major villages are able to successfully make a living off the smaller battles and missions that flow in. Smaller villages are barely able to scrape by. And THAT is where we will begin to work our will. By offering our services for dirt-cheap costs, we'll drive the smaller villages out of business. With no income coming in, they'll fall apart, their shinobi abandoning them. And the more we work, the greater our reputation, till we are able to steal business even from the 5 major villages…till they too follow the smaller ones into extinction."

"…Yeah, I get it. Are you going to be at the damn point soon?"

"Think Hidan. We will have by then driven every shinobi village, major or minor, out of business, and scattered their shinobi. All of the 5 major countries will be dealing exclusively with us, and will have no one else to hire or protect them other than us-"

"Meaning they will be defenseless save the ineffective non-shinobi armies under each Daimyo's control." All eyes flickered to the till then silent Konan, before their leader nodded in confirmation.

"And then, my friend, we will be able to accomplish the final step of the plan…" He stood taller if possible, as if a God looking down upon creation itself.

"This world will be ours…to take, to master, and to rule."

There was utter silence. For Hidan, it suddenly made sense…and while it required waiting, and probably stuff that didn't require killing, he grudgingly admitted it made sense. Besides, he could kill people when they took over anyway.

The others were all in awe, for despite their prior knowledge of the plan, listening to it come from his mouth in that manner was impressive. Only two members weren't moved.

Itachi, who only stared back impassively and nodded in simple confirmation.

And Deidara…

"Mah, Leader-sama, you could have used some scary music right then, yeah?" A quick "Ow!" followed this statement, courtesy of Hiruko's tail and Deidara's skull. Some of the members more annoyed with the blonde considered clapping in approval, until…

"There is one thing that has been on my mind for some time," All eyes turned towards Kakuzu, who finally stopped leaning back in his chair and stood. "Now, I think I can speak for us all 

when I say we're a cut above the average shinobi. Everywhere we've gone, no one has ever fought us and not been in awe of our skill. It is never expected… and yet, is there not a chance of other shinobi that would surprise us in the same way? Greater? Possibly shinobi like the Sannin? And Orochimaru is still out there. It would require some kind of leverage, some edge to help cement our status and prevent retaliation. And despite all of our incredible talent, I doubt that's leverage in of itself…" He sat back down, his eyes still staring demandingly at their leader. "I've lived a long time Leader-sama, and I've seen every fool or group of fools who ever thought they didn't need a hidden reserve or jutsu or source of power or leverage. They are every one of them dead…some even by my hand. One was from my own village, who thought things like Hero's Water made him invulnerable. So what, pray tell, do we have?" Pein stared at the man in silence for a while, and then smiled softly.

"When you all were recruited by Konan and I, you eventually were told about the plan you've just heard again. There is one step, however, that goes between parts one and two, which I've kept from you all till now. The acquisition of the very leverage of you speak of…tell me, what do you all know of the Biju?" Their eyebrows rose at the mention of _them_, and it was a good 20 seconds before Sasori spoke.

"The Biju…the nine tailed demons of legend. Each a different animal. No known source or origin, they simply appear every now and then, supposedly after waking from slumber, or when they feel violent. Either way, they are very powerful, destructive, and possess incredible chakra stores. Their power is arranged in order of tails, ranging from the one-tailed Ichibi sealed in Suna, to the nine-tailed Kyuubi no Kitsune which was sealed in Konoha. Some have been reportedly sealed inside the living weapons known as Jinchuriki, who reside in different villages. Others still remain at large in unknown locations… and I must confess Leader-sama, I am at a loss for your mention of them." Pein's smile grew just a twitch.

"My fellow Akatsuki… what if I told you we could capture these creatures…and harness their power for our cause?" A veil of silence descended over the table. "Can you imagine it? There would be no better way to not only deter retaliation, but to cement our power and reputation…Akatsuki, masters of the Biju. We could use their power to start and end wars at whim, furthering our reputation and power. And when we finally have finished with steps one and two, we'll still have in our hands the combined power of these creatures."

"It will be the ultimate weapon…for the ultimate conquest." The members of Akatsuki, minus Itachi, looked around at each other in surprise before Kakuzu spoke again.

"I must say…that IS very good leverage. You have some sort of jutsu to work this scheme I assume?"

"Yes. It has taken much research, but the technique is foolproof. Whether we get the Jinchuriki or the Biju themselves, it will take the demon and its power. In the case of the former, the host will…'unfortunately' perish. We'll be sealing them into this statue, which the jutsu summons, 

and we will use it to control their power as if it was our own." Pein removed a picture from his cloak and showed it to the other members. It was a grotesque thing, like a giant demon with 9 closed eyes, wrists shackled and its mouth opened in a roar of terrible pain. "Upon entrance into this organization, you were all given special rings, each with a different kanji. They are focal point for channeling the jutsu. Don't lose them; the less we have, the harder and longer the sealing."

"Well, then that brings up something I was gonna ask about." Kisame stared at his own ring, thinking about how to best put it. He worried about possibly offending their leader…he didn't have technical immortality, unlike some members after all. "Orochimaru…he left a few years ago. He got a ring too, didn't he? Either way, he also knows about the plan, minus the sealing the giant demons part. He's still out there like Kakuzu said. Think maybe it's about time we go say hello? You know, 'catch up' on old times?" Pein scrutinized him for a moment, before giving a small shake of the head.

"At this point, Orochimaru is irrelevant. He will not find shelter with any major village, and whatever plans he has probably will not affect us. Once we have all of the demons, or are close, we will deal with him as a safety measure. We may even be able to regain his ring. In any case, that one ring only makes things a little slower. The process will take three days as it is, but that one ring will not make it much faster or easier. We'll be fine without it." He spent the next several minutes detailing which Biju would be taken by whom in what order. "We would have begun this in a year or two, when more funds had been collected, but certain events require us to start collecting the demons early. You will of course still be expected to collect all assigned bounties and mission rewards. You…don't want to be late in collecting anything. Believe me."

"Mah, I gotta ask, yeah? Why don't we take the weakest one, the one-tail, first? Make it easy, yeah? Or how 'bout the hardest; get the Kyuubi Jinchuriki out of the way now, yeah?"

"No Deidara. Despite our strength and skill, Konoha is still a powerful village. And Suna as well. Both Jinchuriki are well protected. The other containers in other villages are less so, and their homes carry less clout. If we take one of those two now, we risk the villages discovering our plans and uniting against us. Once we have the other seven, it will be much easier. In any case, we must save the nine-tailed fox for last. Its power is too great, and if it is sealed before the other 8 are all captured, the statue will unbalance and crumble. Now…while we don't have a ring for him, I have found a new member to replace Orochimaru. Zetsu, he will be your new partner. He will still be valuable in capturing the demons and the containers, even if he cannot aid in the sealing. He should be arriving shortly."

Just then, the sound of the door opening was heard, and all eyes turned to the door. The man who walked into the inn seemed tall, Akatsuki robes billowing around him. The members sitting at the table noted the wild shock of black hair, the black gloves and footwear…but most strangely the orange mask he wore, with only one eyehole on the right. The man walked over and around 

to a chair opposite the leader that had been empty till now, and sat. He looked around, and the other members got a feeling that somehow, he was smiling under the damn thing.

"Hiiii! I'm Tobi. We gonna go demon hunting and stuff soon?" The few members that usually showed any emotion sweat dropped. The guy's voice sounded like a kid. Not in age, but in how he sounded so freaking peppy. "Mah, what are you all staring at?"

"…Leader-sama, with all due respect…are you serious?" "_**Yeah, the guy sounds completely insane. Can the kid even fight?**_"

"You WILL take him as your partner Zetsu. That is final. I expect the first 4 or 5 demons to be ours in a year's time, and the last 2 or 3 to come soon after…assuming you don't fail me." Ignoring the small amount of shivering some gave off at the killer intent behind those words, Pein motioned for them all to stand. "You all know how to contact me if you capture a Biju or a container. Once one is captured, we will drop all current business, and meet where I tell you all to begin sealing the said demon. Let's get to work…and before long, my fellow Akatsuki, we will soon see this world submit to us." They all nodded, and then vanished, beginning a long process of random patterns of movement for the day to lose possible pursuers…none of them noticing that Leader-sama, Konan, and Tobi remained. Tobi stood, and looked at the two other members there. He spoke…but his voice had changed, suddenly sounding more mature, older, deeper, and most importantly, cold and full of malice and dominance.

"Good. You both had best get to work as well." Pein, who had before shown an air of complete control, now looking defferingly towards this strange member.

Towards his master…Akatsuki's true leader.

"Master, I must admit a bit of doubt. Pushing the plan like this…we will have much less time than anticipated. We WILL have our work done, of course… but was it truly necessary?"

"Yes. A certain…conversation has taken place, and I find that the results of it require this. It was smart of you to keep the urgency of changing the plan from them. Now go, and do not fail me Pein. You know the price of doing so."

"Of course, master…"

Then Pein vanished, appearing some long distance from the tavern. Konan soon appeared at his side, a look of worry on her face.

"Pein…we cannot trust him. Not when we first met him, and not now. He will betray us before this is through-

"I know Konan. But we only need to wait till we have the demons. The, we can use their power to eradicate him, and whatever dreams he has will be no more. Then, you and I can make the 

world of peace we seek. We can rule a world without war, without hate, without violence. Without traitorous, wicked people, who only use others for their own gain." It was then that, for a moment, Konan's conscience spoke up against the wishes of her partner.

"You mean…like we are?" Pein's eyes widened, and then he looked into his partner's eyes, hands clenching upon her shoulders.

"Konan, this isn't about money, or land, or even power. We're going to make a peaceful world. Remember? Our dream…and I will rule as a benevolent God, with my angel by my side…you are still with me, aren't you?" She stared back at the man, the very barest blush in her cheeks, and then nodded.

"Yes. I want peace as much as you do Pein. I will do what is necessary."

"Good… now, let's go. It's time for the hunt to begin."

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Within the tavern, the figure of Tobi walked over to a window somehow unstained by Hidan's massacre. He looked up at the sky, and laughed.

"Even now, so far away, he probably thinks his plans, even his betrayal are still unknown to me...what a fool. His dreams of such peace have no place in a world of creatures as violent and unstable as mankind; creatures born into the world kicking and screaming, each willing to do whatever is necessary for their own wants and needs. Such a potentially dangerous race…no, humans will never understand peace, even with what you have planned for the Biju. Only my power will rule, not some vain dream of a perfect world." His head rose a bit as he thought back on the figure he'd met some time before today. Such power…and yet…

"Another fool. All that power, power as great as mine, maybe greater…and he is nothing more than a watcher. The man is dead, even in life. A living corpse, dragging the dead alongside him. And he actually thought his words might sway me from my path…still, I'll take you're warning to heart old man. I won't allow any potential threats to jeopardize the return of my full power. With the first eight of the demons under my control, I'll be able to overpower and control the Kyuubi and regain my full power with its help. Your hopes are as fleeting as the crane you turned into when you left me. You cannot stop me, no more than the Shodaime or Yondaime could stop me… even the person you've mentioned, whoever he is, won't be able to derail my plans, despite your warning. Neither will your claim that my quest is hopeless. I have no need for hope… I know that my plans will bear fruit." The figure stared out from under his mask, his eye taking in the clouds.



"The Crane Hermit, Zuo Ci…to demonstrate your power and then not stop me, to mention a person who could stop me and give me nothing else beyond that…what are you truly planning? It cannot overrule my own game, my own ambition…but either way, this will be fun."

He then laughed as he looked out the window. The laughed started in the voice he'd been using before, high and giddy. The suddenly it switched, seemingly instantly, and a booming laugh full of malice and ambition and wicked intent rolled out of the tavern and across the surrounding countryside. There was a chill to it; one that somehow made the land seemed colder despite the sun's bright light.

The world darkened as it turned.

Madara Uchiha laughed.

And as he laughed, the three tomoe of his visible Sharingan spun wildly, like petal blossoms caught in the wind of a terrible and horrifying storm…

((A.N.: Wow, that last line gave me shivers. Hope it did that to you all. And don't worry; for those who don't recognize the name, Zuo Ci will come in a later chapter.))

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((A.N.: WARNING!  
WARNING!  
WARNING!  
This last section has ideas concerning religion that do not reflect the author's thoughts. They are there out of imagination to give depth to the characters. Don't hate me, and forgive me if I unintentionally offend any readers.))

It was in a special place that the two sat. A very small pocket dimension. Maybe the size of a small log cabin. There were no electronic devices, no food, no drink, no furniture; they had no need for such things. Seconds lasted millennia, and millions of years went in the blink of an eye, for time had no meaning to the two either and did not truly exist in this place.

They hovered there, in mid-air, a chess board floating between them. In their presence mortal minds had shutdown, exploded, had quivered and wondered in awe. Whole armies, entire worlds had been defeated by these two: burned, tortured, brainwashed, shot, blessed, raped, drowned, healed, and every other action imaginable. And as if in symmetry, world upon world had sprung from their minds…Gods had been born at their whim.



The first seemed an amalgamation of the two sexes, and the most beautiful creature that could be. Long white robes covered a slender, curveless body of the palest alabaster skin, putting albino to shame. Blonde hair, somehow silky yet rough and curse all at once hung down to his/her…its shoulders. Eyes that seemed blind from afar…but were not even eyes, but twin balls of pure energy, like light balled up and aching to escape from the sockets. That face…sculpted in a way no sculptor could replicate in an eternity. Slender, soft, and with a kindness unseen anywhere. And the figure's voice… a tenor, one of more beauty than anything heard, than any instrument. A voice that made all who heard it cry, laugh, love, smile, orgasm, and a million feelings no being of flesh or metal had ever felt before.

The one opposite…him, seemed the first's polar opposite. While the other was slight and slender, this second being was large, maybe twice the size of his board game opponent. Most of the giant figure was swathed in large white robes similar to the ones worn by the first, robes that hid thick, coiled limbs beneath, though even that in of itself was only because of his whim. His hands and face, like with the first, were the only thing showing. This other figure, however, had skin grayish with a purple tint, grim and terrible, like skin just before it begins to rot and decay. Long, thick claws on hard, crushing fingers were the only things showing from those long sleeves. And the head…bone white hair, hanging to the sides in front but shocked up in the back. Dark purple horns rising from the hair above the forehead, jagged and menacing, like arms of the dead reaching out to grasp whoever stood above. Eyes that were dark yellow, with pupils darker than a black hole's center. And clutched between jagged, shark-like teeth there was a large tanto, twice the length of a man's arm and sharper than any man-made blade.

The blade never moved, nor the jaws, yet somehow the being spoke, just as the first being spoke without moving his soft, ruby lips. But to hear the voice that came from behind those horrid teeth…it made the listener orgasm as well, but it also made them shiver, spasm, shriek, cry, tear their flesh, gouge their very eyes and beg for death, even if it was torturous and long-lasting, as long as the pain ended.

The pieces, when they used their turn, moved without contact by either player. They simply were there one minute, and another spot the next. They had no such need for touch; entire worlds moved across entire galaxies in less than the link of an eye simply because the two brothers wanted them. One could call them brothers in a very limited sense however. For though they referred to each other as brothers, the bond between them was beyond any possible mortal comprehension.

It was just as they willed it to be.

Such was the will of Kami and Shinigami.

The former of these two moved a bishop, before looking up and smiling at his 'brother'

"It has been a long time, hasn't it brother?"



"Yes brother, it has…" Shinigami didn't look up from the board, as if studying for next move…but they both knew the mind of either of them could process their move in an instant. Kami knew what that action meant, when his brother didn't look back. It meant he was annoyed by something. Not wanting their talking to start off on an angry foot, he smiled up at his brother.

"Well, the last 200 years have been very entertaining, haven't they?" One of the Death God's teeth twitched…the closest thing to a smile that he ever gave.

"Indeed. Usually there isn't that much entertainment in existence… but everything that's happened recently: those silly namesakes of mine warring with Aizen, the incidents in the Digital World, Voldemort's new war, the Elric's tampering with the gate, Sauron's second war, the opening of the Hell gates on Mars, and so many other incidents… the existence we've created is finally full of entertainment again. And we only meet when entertainment is good- I've seen you more recently then in 20 millennia." The Life God grinned. Conversation on entertainment was always fun.

"Indeed. Remember that one God we created? What did the human's on that planet refer to him in that musical as…Father? Yes, that was a nice name for him. That world he created has been especially entertaining lately. And the fact that the people on that world have made books and stories and games that exactly replicate the events of other worlds…indeed, Father has created a nice little planet of humans for himself hasn't he? I'm still waiting for him and that one Angel, Lucifer, to finally have a good fight to end that whole boring stalemate."

"Tch, my money is on Satan." Shinigami paused just long enough for a pawn to move forward…which really meant no time at all. "You know how much sin exists on that planet. That John Doe character in that one movie, Se7en, put it very nicely, saying how there were sins on every street corner. Satan has the bigger army, even though Father has quality."

"Indeed. I must admit, I am excited about that future skirmish. I almost want to will myself to know the outcome." His larger brother twitched a tooth at the thought.

"And then what? If I didn't know better brother, and I do know better, I'd think you've forgotten why we've purposefully limited the amount of our far-sight and omnipotence. Boring were the countless millennia before we did so. Thankfully we didn't look too far before we did so, or even the current entertainment would be known to us. We'd have to wipe creation clean and start over." Kami nodded, contemplating such an action for a moment, and then the two floated for some time, neither saying a word. Kami sighed internally, and looked carefully at his brother.

While Gods could kill one another, the beings known as Kami and Shinigami were above that. Not killing, but that they couldn't kill each other. It was like the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. What would happen was any contest of wills between the two would end in a stalemate, they always would…but during said struggle they would both go through immense 

headaches. It was why the two brothers inflicted headaches on the other whenever they were annoyed by their sibling.

It was why Kami considered his next words carefully…Shinigami could keep the headaches up for a long time if he was irritated too much.

"Alright brother. I know you. What is it that is troubling you?"

"…You should know that already brother." The voice hadn't changed…but there was an unvoiced, almost un-thought anger directed in it, like a hidden killer intent.

"I could brother, except that I can't glimpse into your mind as you well know. Please, what is-"

"You damn well know!" The board between them shattered, along with the pieces at the force behind that roar of anger. It repaired itself instantly, but the message was sent: anger. And lots of it. "I told you what could happen if we put him there. What the consequences could be. And STILL you insisted!"

"…Why Shinigami, whatever might you be talking about?"

"I don't like your habit of drawing certain things out brother. You knew when we sent him to Lucifer's Hell there could be consequences. We should have erased him from existence as soon as his sword was destroyed. But we did it anyway in the end. Because you said it was wrong to wipe him out, even after al he'd done, and even considering the dangers he could create in Hell. That he wasn't truly 'wicked' enough to warrant us directly destroying him. That and you threatened me with 5 millennia of headaches. And now, he's done it: he's absorbed the gift we gave to Satan in exchange for his imprisonment."

"Really? So he was able to absorb a soul as powerful as that of our gift, the second Cyberdemon?"

"Yes. I can't believe it myself. The damn thing had a giant rocket launcher for an arm. It was an invincible warrior, something that might have made any future 'holy' war more entertaining. Invulnerable except for the soul cube, which was used up sealing the main Hell portal. But apparently, the prisoner aggravated it enough of the last couple hundred years that it tricked the Guardian to come close enough to absorb it." Kami stared at his brother, thoughts on the news racing through his mind.

"Hmm…well, I must say that is interesting."

"Interesting! You call it interesting! I call it a disaster! Thankfully absorbing the power of the soul itself will take almost two normal years, and he will be dormant for that time. It's good he didn't absorb the damn Cyberdemon's invulnerability and that he won't end up as strong as it was. But when it ends, he'll be able to take more souls from Hell, and Lucifer is too preoccupied with preparing for a future war with Father to even notice what's happened so far. And to tell him directly would break certain rules we set up between ourselves. If this little problem of yours 

takes enough souls, it'll be just like what could happen if those damn Quincy destroy too many souls. That particular universe will collapse as a result of it. Must I remind you that over half the entertaining worlds currently reside in that universe? I'm just glad that Kingdom Hearts isn't connected to that universe or that particular Hell. We'd lose entire universes if THAT place unbalanced…well?! You don't seem very disturbed by this news brother! Or does the loss of our entertainment truly matter that little to you?! The only reason I haven't wiped that little problem from existence already is that I wanted to show you what has come of all this!" Kami's mouth broke into a smile for a moment, before returning to a neutral line.

"I have already thought of an interesting way to make use of this new development. But before I suggest it, there is a matter to which you might be attracted. You see, Zuo Ci thinks he's finally found an end to his search." Kami smirked internally, as mention of said being caused Shinigami's anger to subside…for the moment.

"Really now? That old Crane hermit… it was interesting for the first 2 millennia, watching him travel the worlds in search of a new champion, him and the soul of that warrior he brings with him. I've seen Ci's soul. It reeks of death despite his obvious life. And I imagine even the warrior he brings with him must tire of their search. I give them credit though, for keeping it up this long."

"Indeed. In any case, he's currently on the world co-existing with the anime that the humans on Earth call 'Naruto'. In fact, he thinks that the one he's been searching for might be Naruto Uzumaki himself."

"Really? …Hmmm, so that is the boy, eh? I must admit, the boy seems interesting. Though it is in the same universe as Kingdom Hearts, I never thought anyone from that world would be able to produce Darkness…that IS what he's gained recently, isn't it?"

"Yes. Plus the boy known as Lee Rock is producing Darkness, but to a lesser extent, and the girl Hinata Hyuuga is producing Nothingness. It is quite interesting to watch them train, and to see them slowly create Heartless and Nobodies, and- ah, Naruto just formed a new one, one of those monkey-like Power Wilds. He'll have recreated the entire Heartless zoology at this rate. And the Hyuuga girl made a Dancer recently. She'll have them all soon enough."

"…Alright, you have my attention. I'll admit that that world is interesting to me. Especially when that one human attempted to summon me. If I hadn't been so impressed with his seal work in that silly jutsu, I wouldn't have even shown myself. I was even in a good enough mood to seal the Kyuubi away…I don't suppose he minded giving his life for it. But there must be more to it than that, or you wouldn't even mention it." Kami smiled internally: if he'd got his brother to admit his interest, then the plan was as good as sealed.

"Well brother. I… cheated a bit. I took a look ahead in time for this particular world-"



"You what?!"

"And I saw what was going to happen. King Mickey's plan will send the Keyblades into the hands of some random human, who unfortunately will not be able to harness their full power. Naruto's new power will not affect any events between now and the betrayal of the one called Sasuke Uchiha, but will cause him to be the victor when he faces Sasuke in the Valley of the End, and will result in the Uchiha's death. Orochimaru, with no 'perfect' container left, will attack Konoha again, this time bringing into play the other 3 major villages as allies. Suna will ally with Konoha, and during this war Akatsuki will attack, and will take both Naruto and Gaara of the Sand. They will both be too diverted by the war to defend themselves, and the Ichibi will be sealed into the statue. When they find out Kyuubi no longer exists, Pein will attempt to use the statue against Madara, but won't be able to control the amount of power unleashed. The ensuing blast will wipe out the planet. Madara, with his 'immortality', will then float through space forever in a coma from oxygen deprivation."

"…Alright brother. You've effectively ruined a very small amount of entertainment. You broken our rules and cheated. Now, explain to me why you don't deserve a headache for the next 10 millennia."

"Well…I have an idea on how to increase, if not the length, then the quality of said entertainment…build up the suspense, and the stakes." Shinigami said nothing for a while. The only visible sign that anything was happening was a few turns passing on the board floating between them.

"…Alright. I'm listening. But this had better be good brother. Interfering with existence usually ruins the fun." Kami only grinned back, the smile on his face practically screaming that he something his 'brother' did not.

"Ah, but only if we then see the results of our interference too far ahead. If, say we only look ahead a week or two, and make sure things are different, we can leave things be and then sit back to watch the fun start. Now…" Suddenly, the chess board between them disappeared. In its place was the world on which Naruto resided, the world barrier a blue sphere around it. "This is his world. Eventually, the Keyblades will hit the barrier and just pass through. What **I** plan to do is give it a burst of energy as it hits the barrier. Instead of hitting the planet somewhere random and far from the main action, it will hit here…just in time to land in HIS hands." At this, an image of a human appeared before the both of them. Shinigami twitched a tooth again…this WAS interesting.

"Now that is an interesting choice…then again, you always did like things getting interesting in unorthodox ways. So, HE of all people gets the Keyblades. Fine. It may make things a little better. You've forgotten one fact however. To do so as it hits the barrier will cause massive fluctuations in the barrier's power. We can't prevent it; there are certain laws to this reality that even WE cannot bend."



"Ah, but we can direct that energy, and then restore the barrier to full strength afterwards." A small blip of energy appeared, and approached the projection. As it hit the barrier, it shot off to one side suddenly on a diagonal line. Then, streaks of light emitted from where it entered the barrier, striking the planet in seemingly random areas.

"Wait…THAT'S how you plan to deal with the world barrier, let the energy decimate whatever it hits?!" Kami shook his head, giving that knowing smile again.

"No. I plan to concentrate it. The energy will hit, and kill these certain individuals, and will destroy this." More images appeared before them, and upon seeing them Shinigami twitched his entire lower row of teeth.

"Ah…I see. It raises the chance of more interesting fights. And if you destroy THAT…yes, yes, it will cause those individuals to possibly get into more interesting fights…especially if these people are killed by the Keyblade passing through the world barrier. It'll force them to all come together-"

"Around THAT time, yes. Beyond this being the most likely result, I have no idea what will happen. It may be they'll all get in one giant brawl that won't be very entertaining. Still, I've thought it out to the best of abilities…anyway; we'll continue the chess match next time we meet. I feel like watching events on the world containing that Edward Elric fellow. Farewell brother." Kami seemed to stand up in midair, and had turned to make an exit in a dramatic fashion, when the sound of steel grating on bone stalled him. Turning back, he saw Shinigami had drawn his tanto and held it out menacingly. A useless gesture, considering their true immortality, but it sent a message: business was NOT concluded.

"I might think you're trying to avoid the matter altogether brother. Have you not forgotten your little problem? I'd rather that particular universe NOT be destroyed. What do you intend to do about the threat the prisoner will pose 2 years from now? And it had better be good, or I'll erase him right now, headache or not."

"…Again, I have thought it out. WE won't interfere directly. As he's about to finish, we'll deposit him on this 'Naruto' world…and let **her** deal with it." At that, one final image appeared midair as the others disappeared. Shinigami's lower teeth twitched again.

"Indeed? I suppose…she does have a lot of potential, and there is a sense of irony there…fine. If you really believe she'll be able to deal with him, then fine. But you'll have to clean up the mess if she fails…goodbye brother." And as if he had never been there to begin with, Shinigami was gone, in less than the blink of an eye. Kami grinned again at the spot his brother had just occupied. Shinigami DID always hate long goodbyes.

"Uzumaki Naruto… yes, I think you and your friends are all going to give us more entertainment then we've had in a long while. And I can't forget the fourth member of your group the one to 

come at a slowly closer time…hmm… yes, he IS at a disadvantage…I don't think brother will mind if I give you some special aid to make you more equal." Kami closed his eyes, and then reopened them almost immediately. "Ah…yes, I think that he'll be the perfect weapon to help offset your handicap." Kami held his hand out, and a dark blue, crystal-like egg formed in the palm of his hand. "Yes…you'll be helping Naruto's future friend my little one. I hope you had fun with Gala…because I think this new one will be just as interesting." He blinked, and the egg was gone, already hidden upon Naruto's world in a special place. His smile then faded as he looked up at the image floating in midair still. Those lavender-tinted eyes…

"And Hinata Hyuuga…yes, I think it will be very interesting, using you to deal with my little problem. By the time he awakens from his power absorption, the prisoner SHOULD be at your level… give or take. And it would be appropriate that one such as you should fight him."

"After all, you're going to be a venerable soul master."

"Who better then, for me to place against a soul monster?"

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And within the Hell of a certain universe, for some strange reason, a being in the process of absorbing the power of a soul twitched. It had a feeling that… hmm… but it soon passed. After all, it had to finish. It had to be complete.

It had to wield its great sword once more…

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_**Preview:**_

_Me: How do you define a monster? Their physical appearance? Their emotions? Their minds? Their desires?_

_Me: It is now time to take a journey into the minds of men, whom we see as monsters._

_Me: Some monster's minds are simple…some are wanting…some barely have any mind left to them.…_

_Me: And some….some monster's minds are more complicated than we could possibly imagine._

_Next Time: __**Mind of a Monster. We journey into the psyche of your foes Naruto!**_

_Me: Prepare...for a journey unlike any before it…_



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Wow. I knew this chapter wouldn't take as long, but even I'm surprised. I'm also surprised it's over 10,000 words and 20 pages. The way I had it planned, it wasn't supposed to be this long.

Thank you to everyone who has responded to my review request with vigor and tenacity. Having serious reviews really helps me see how to improve both myself and this story.

I know the idea of Kami and Shinigami altering events like that might seem a bit…cheap. But it's necessary to make certain events happen, which will guarantee me the ability to make certain fights possible in future chapters, and especially the main chapters of the finale. And I offset it by making the two of them basically offhanded about events in existence. Wars, peace, life, and death…as all powerful beings, this is simply their entertainment. And they DO have limits.

I've probably given away certain characters or events away easily. Thankfully, there is so much variety in videogames and anime, that hopefully most of you won't know till I get to them…and then it's off to Google and Wikipedia for you to find out what the Hell I'm talking about. I AM pulling from some more rare or obscure stuff a few times, but I'll do the best I can.

Reminder: No more mentioning new weapons and I'm not making original Heartless or Nobodies. Mostly cause I don't own any of this. And you'll soon find a few very small things are slightly AU. Trust me; it's necessary for my originality.

I mentioned a few chapters back I was willing to add in characters from games or shows if people could give a good explanation how they got there. Well, no one ever did, so I'm now officially closing that option. Sorry guys, you had your chance.

Speaking of closed, so is the poll for Shino's eyes.

Final poll:

No eyes: 18

Bug yes: 29

And Shino…well, he's going to be a MUCH more interesting character. I might have hinted at it already…but you'll soon see what I mean.

Well, that's it. Time for me to start creating the minds of 'monsters'. I've wanted to do this next chapter since before chapter two… so I'm reeeealy going to enjoy this.

Ja ne!


	9. Mind of a Monster

Wow. I mean, yes, there was some procrastination, but I never meant it to take this long.

Mostly? They took longer than I expected. These were supposed to be short vignettes, and some of them are…but other ending up being several pages, even more. Some I couldn't get any inspiration, and other sprung from my mind on an inspiration overload.

As you'll notice, there are a few missing: Pein, Konan, Madara Uchiha, and Kabuto. I'm saving these for a different part, as one or two story events will be necessary first for their 'mental journeys', and we aren't there yet. These 4 will get their own chapter like this one, I promise.

**IMPORTANT!!**

Don't forget: After the preview, and the bottom notes, I'm finally going to reveal the identity of Shih! You'll love it! Or Hellstone and Brimfire will rain upon you...yes, Hellstone and Brimfire!

Also, the chance to be my beta is closed. Sad no one wanted to do it, but I gave two months time. Oh well.

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Nine**

_**Mind of a Monster. We journey into the psyche of your foes Naruto!**_

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_Monster:_

_1._

_A legendary animal combining features of animal and human form or having the forms of various animals in combination, as a centaur, griffin, or sphinx. _

_2. A cruel, wicked, and inhuman person._

_3. Any creature so monstrous as to frighten people._

_4.__ A person who excites horror by wickedness, cruelty, etc._

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_Monsters. Always they are feared. Whenever humanity is presented with a monster, be it one they can see or one they are told of; whether it is present, past, or future; always is our reaction to monsters the same._

_Fear._

_Terror._

_Aggression._

_Anger._

_Horror._

_**Hatred.**_

_As long as the concept of good and evil is a human one, monsters will forever be associated with these words._

_And yet…_

_Monsters are not always what we believe. Sometimes more, sometimes exactly what we think they are, sometimes less._

_Now, let's look into the minds of some monsters._

_And see just how far they go…in our notions of good and evil…_

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_The minds of some Monsters run into sad, yet disturbing roots…_

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"Heh, so this town is the last place 5-tails container was seen? What a boring little dump…I can see why it left." The figure looked over to his partner as they stood atop a cliff overlooking a large civilian village.

"It doesn't matter. I will interrogate the village leader…leave no witnesses." In truth, the speaker could probably take care of that task with no witnesses. His skill was such. However, it had been a while since they had gone through any real action, and was giving his taller partner a chance to 'cut loose'.

"Making me slaughter all those helpless people… you really are too kind Itachi." Giving no response to the joke, Itachi shushined away, his form vanishing from Kisame's vision. The blue-skinned shinobi sighed and then turned, breathing in the morning air as he looked out over the village in the valley below the cliff upon which he stood. He grinned, tightening the grip he had upon Samehada. Kisame Hoshigaki leapt from the cliff, and near the bottom he landed on a tree branch, quickly moving towards the village. The massacre he was about to start… they'd never see it coming.

He hadn't even reached the village, and already he could smell their blood. Tucked away within skin and muscle…oh yes, he'd have so much pleasure spilling it.

Some might have called him cruel, or monstrous. Not a monster, no, for he WAS human. And cruel was subjective. Kisame figured only one word worked for him.

Bloodthirsty.

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He had always been that way. Not consciously at first. No, that came later in the harsh thing he could call life. His parents had only kept him a few years after his birth, a time in which the dark basement of the house was his entire world. He had loved his mother and father in any case. They fed him, and on occasion talked to him, even when they could barely understand the sight of him. The only thing he ever wondered was where his parents were when not in the little world he knew.

Eventually, his parents finally tossed him out onto the streets with no regret…and then, standing in the doorway, watching the rain of that morning pour onto Kisame, they cut their own throats wide open, believing themselves cursed for giving birth to such a 'monstrous' child.

That had been what had started it. Their suicide had been in front of Kisame's own eyes, and their life blood had splashed across his body, drenching him. Even as it began to rain and the blood washed away, Kisame looked over the red tone their blood gave him…and as it dripped over him, into the street, even into his mouth…he came to lose his fear. The shock and horror and sadness of his parents tossing him away, and then killing themselves… it was soon lost to 

him. He had been 'baptized' in his parent's blood… and as he stumbled away, his head still whirling in thought, he licked his lips, wondering if his own blood tasted as sweet.

It may have been he was more shark-like than just in coincidental appearance. It could be he was a cursed child. Or the emotional storm of the event had done it. But already, within his subconscious, an unnoticed spark was lit…the blood thirst that would one day characterize him.

When he had first been taken into the orphanage, it was as if he was a leper. The children wouldn't touch him, fearing to catch whatever disease made his skin blue, or gave him those gill-like openings on his face. The sight of his triangular teeth made them cry out in terror, and even the most hardened boys and the adults working there shuddered at the sight of them. He knew it was his different appearance, but failed to see how it was worth such fear and loathing. Soon, he became used to it, and the questioning of that hatred passed. Hate was like breathing-it just happened.

For Kisame, there was no imaginary friend, no doll or toy, no special friend to keep him company, unless one might call solidarity a friend. He was alone, the only difference between this place and the basement being the sunlight and more people. His portions were smaller, he was left out of special events, and he noticed every now and then children there walking around with special treats…ones that apparently no one had thought to give him.

However, what had hurt the most at first were the parents that came in. Every mother and father had given him a horrified look…the same his parents had visited upon him. Within a month, 50 couples had come and gone and twenty children had left. By then, Kisame had become indifferent to the visiting parents. He was alone; he had come to accept this lot in his life.

Years and years passed, and soon the orphanage had emptied of all but Kisame and a gang of about 10 boys. All of them were about 12, and Kisame was 10. But it was that one year, on Kisame's eleventh birthday, that something had happened.

The blood thirst came again.

Kisame had gotten used to rough conditions there. When something heavy was in his way, he knew there would be no one that would aid him. Heavy or sharp objects were simply things he'd been required to deal with on his own. Add that to a 'diet' that had kept him lean, and for his age Kisame was a bit taller and stronger than necessary. His skin was rough, yet toughened by his harsh living. What had caused this was mostly the pelting of Kisame with small objects. Done in general at times by children and adults alike, it was mostly perpetrated by the same gang of 10 boys. Their rowdy nature when in their 'pack' was the only thing that kept them from becoming adopted all those years.

Kisame had been walking around the back or the orphanage that day, as always being the only one to acknowledge his own birthday. The adults running the place had become drunk, having 

recently started turning to alcohol to deal with the decline of the orphanage, and the stress of the boys and that…thing.

It had been sudden, and swift. The boys had descended on Kisame like wolves. No one was nearby to stop it…and who would have if there were? The boys were older now, and something had changed: they held no fear of Kisame. Gone were the childhood delusions of him being dangerous. He was downsized in his standing to them, being nothing more than a lonely freak. A nobody…meaning a perfect target, for both their amusement and letting out anger over not being adopted yet. The ragged clothing they all wore was always a bit big to allow room to grow, so his stronger physique was unknown to them.

They held him down, two boys each two a limb, and took turns beating the living Hell out of Kisame. Even toughened as he was, Kisame could only take it so long before bruises formed, before, he was crying out in pain. He was being hated, as he always had been, only this time the physical pain was almost unbearable. He didn't even beg for them to stop. The melancholy and sadness he'd been feeling previously at this turned to despair. It seemed maybe now he would be killed…maybe he'd finally not have to hurt anymore.

In another life, the boys had beaten Kisame within an inch of his life…and as no one cared to help him, he would be left there, where the last inch of life he had would be crossed. His body would be left to rot. But something happened then, that changed Kisame's fate.

One of the boys, deciding it wasn't enough, had picked up a small, pointed rock, and jammed it into Kisame's shoulder. He had been one of the weaker boys, and so his attack barely broke the hardened skin. However it was enough… for a drop of blood came forth.

Immediately, Kisame felt new life enter him. That smell…it was blood. His own blood. In all the time's he'd been hurt and abused, in every struggle after his parents death, never had his own blood come forth, not even a drop. And as if by some random throw of the dice, never before had blood been spilled in the orphanage, not even amounting to a drop. This smell of blood, like his parents blood…it suddenly filled him. He remembered it after all those years since his parents had killed themselves. Never before had he felt anything like this. The unconscious spark of blood thirst inside him awoke, and it exploded out into a wondrous inferno of feeling and life such as he'd never felt before. In one great movement, with strength he'd never truly used before, Kisame tossed all his aggressors away, watching them tumble and fall.

Kisame moved a hand to his shoulder, wiping off that drop of blood. He raised the finger, and ever so delicately let his tongue lick it off.

…That taste. Oh, nothing had ever tasted better to him!



It was then the boys made one final mistake. Passing off Kisame's sudden burst of strength as luck, they charged again, determined to make sure he didn't humiliate them a second time…and interrupted Kisame's euphoric moment.

Kisame had always wondered about his teeth. Sharp as they were, he had always seen that no one had teeth like his. No one else could bite through wood, and even chew bits of metal like him. Often he also wondered how his tongue unconsciously moved so as now to get cut or bitten off.

That wasn't what he thought of right then. What he knew was he had tasted blood, and wanted more…wanted the blood those boys had. Blood his teeth could get to, sharp as they were.

The first boy had paused in running to Kisame as the blue-skinned child open his mouth, revealing the two rows of jagged, sharp teeth. This hesitation was all Kisame needed to move to him…and as if in a symbolic repeat of his parent's suicide, or as if a real shark smelling blood and where it was running most, Kisame lunged forward, and tore open the boy's throat.

The other stopped, watching Kisame. The boy stood there licking the blood up from his teeth and lips as his victim riled on the ground. It mattered not to Kisame. Just that blood…that delicious blood. He realized there were 9 boys left, and then started running to them. He was fast, being lean and having run when he was bored, or need to avoid objects thrown by those around him. The gang never had a chance, as Kisame bit into their throats one by one. He needed to taste their blood. He needed to see if it was as sweet as his.

As it turned out, none of them were as sweet.

Baptized once more in the blood of others, Kisame grinned. That feeling…he was happier, more at peace then he'd ever been. He was happy for the taste…yet Kisame also noticed besides tasting, he didn't really want to drink it all. He just liked standing there, watching their blood stain the ground around him. Their deaths were inconsequential. Their blood was spilled and tasted…in his mind, they no longer had use or purpose.

He might have died that day by the hands of his caretakers when they discovered such murder in their own backyard. Fate, however, apparently decided Kisame was still needed. A young Mist Genin had been walking by, thinking on his extremely recent graduation-the previous day actually- when he witnessed Kisame's little massacre. Having a similar love of carnage, and knowing such a find could boost his own influence with the Mist shinobi, the young Genin knocked out Kisame and started carrying him to the Mizukage. Kisame's life was saved that day by a Genin that was only eight years old, who hadn't even been a student.

A genin by the name of Zabuza Momochi.

The minute the Mizukage head of the incident, he was pleased. The boy had some strength already. But if one with such bloodlust was toughened up, and fought his enemies for him…oh, 

the possibilities. Kisame was therefore given two private Jonin to train him…two, because he'd torn apart the first a few days into training, when the man insulted Kisame's parents. Somehow, despite what his parents had done to him, they held a very strange place in Kisame's heart… and whatever it was, it ranked just high enough to attack anyone insulting them. He was feared from that day on by all of the Mist shinobi, who didn't know if they might be his next unexpected victim.

And so for the next twelve years, Kisame had been trained and molded as a shinobi for the Bloody Mist. Right from the outset, it had been determined he had a large amount of chakra for his age, and seemed to take to shinobi arts like a fish into water. Despite this, he was again alone, for no one ever cared for, or wanted to have, any interaction with him. His fellow ninja ranged from simple mistrust, to disgust, to outright fear-both at his appearance, and his love of spilling blood. Even in the Bloody mist, Kisame's blood thirst was seen as over-excessive.

Yet it was never eliminated. Tempered, yes. Controlled and focused to a point where he could stay the urge to drink blood and kill too excessively, yes. At least most of the time. But no one ever thought to rid Kisame of the love he had for a fight, especially one where blood could be spilled greatly.

Only Zabuza really understood it…but neither boy really cared for the other, and this continued as they became men. No hate, just a lack of care. Having saved his life meant little to Kisame. It had happened-it was over. Move on.

It had been 7 years into this twelve year period as a Mist shinobi that another turn in Kisame's life came. Not of direction, but of power and position. Kisame had been leaping along the trees of Mist country, trying to pass time between missions, when he stumbled across a small hut. Inside, he found a kenjutsu user's paradise. The walls were lined with different weapons, though it was mainly swords. Long swords, short swords, heavy ones, light ones, exotic ones…The sword smith who lived there, as it turned out, was the one who had made the weapons of six special shinobi.

The Mist's Six Ninja Swordsmen.

Kisame had always looked on them in awe-they were the few things he ever had done it to. Six beings who had become extremely talented shinobi and master swordsmen as well. The exotic weapons they carried were an envy of Kisame, who had wanted a weapon like theirs. A special one to make him stronger…and with which to spill blood from his foes.

Kisame's eyes drifted away from the weapon maker, even as he spoke about the six shinobi that had been lucky enough to be gifted with a weapon from him. Kisame roamed over the many exotic weapons, finding nothing special. Zabuza had that cleaver, and he'd heard of one member-Raiga, was it? - who possessed twin blades made for lightning manipulation. Kisame, if he could get something, wanted something special…something worth killing the old man for, 

which was what he was planning if necessary. His eyes suddenly glimpsed something, and as he turned to it, he gasped for the first time in his life. What he saw on the wall…it took his breath away.

It was a very large sword. From a tiny white skull at the bottom, the handle stretched out, looking like yellow sales of a serpent. The handle must have been two feet long, and the blade that the handle immediately connected to was another 7 feet easily…and yet it was the blade itself that made Kisame gasp.

When he was thirteen, Kisame has seen a book of ocean animals. His favorite had been a creature called a shark. He recognized the resemblance between the creature and himself, and vaguely wondered about the coincidence. What had most interested him about the shark was its skin-or rather, its sharp scales. The idea of an animal that could hurt another just by rubbing even gently, shaving skin away…it had been a wondrous idea for Kisame. The idea of being able to spill blood without even trying…he admired it. A natural offense and defense.

And now that thought came back as he stared at the blade of this sword. The entire thing, thick and long as it was, was covered in dark serrated 'scales' like the skin of a shark. It seemed genius to Kisame. A normal sword only cut…this could shave. It could spill blood even more easily…

The smithy then took notice of Kisame's fascination with the blade, and proceeded to talk of it. The idea had been based of a shark's skin, hence the name 'Samehada'. Several seals inside the weapon allowed it to absorb chakra and then dissipate it into the air-the more chakra its wielder had, the more it could forcefully take at once. The potential to absorb and dissipate chakra, as long as the wielder had chakra to activate the seals, was limitless…in a way, like a shark's hunger.

Unfortunately, the whole idea was only in theory as he was unable to test the sword. Smirking at Kisame's confused look at the comment, the sword smith had reached for Samehada's handle…only to quickly pull his hand back at the last second, as spikes jutted every which way from the handle. It had been a security system, designed to insure only the owner could wield the sword. And with a little chakra applied to a special seal in the handle, the handle was like a magnet, seeking its owner's chakra when unattended or in an enemy's hands.

Unfortunately, almost as if it was conscious in doing so, Samehada didn't seem to recognize its maker, or anyone else, as an owner. It had remained on the wall for some time, a few blood stains on the ground below signifying failed attempts to remove it. Not even the six ninja swordsmen could touch it. As Kisame listened to the story, he smirked at the blade. He could feel it…a connection to the sword. Kisame reached down despite the worried cry of warning, gripped the handle tightly…and picked it up without hazard, admiring the way it glinted in the light of the hut. It was almost as if Samehada WAS conscious- and it had found Kisame worthy.



That had been the start of a new chapter for the shark-like shinobi. Impressed by his ability to wield the blade, and how he quickly learned to use it soon afterwards, Kisame was admitted into the Mist swordsmen, making their count seven. Zabuza's only reaction to the sword and to Kisame's entrance into the group was a simple shrug- though it seemed as if Zabuza gave him a long stare at first…

With Kisame's blood thirst added to their reputation-one already fearsome for Raiga's love of 'funerals' and his seeming ability to never be caught by surprise ((A.N.: Ranmaru)) and Zabuza's skill at silent killings- the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were feared far and wide.

Then, five years after joining the Swordsmen, in his twelfth year as a Mist shinobi, while Kisame was still in his twenty third year of life, Zabuza had approached him with an offer-one that again started a new chapter for the blue-skinned man. Zabuza had collected a group of loyal followers and planned a coup de tat in the Mist village. With the death of the Mizukage, they'd be in control of the village, wielding power as its rulers. They could even halt the bloodline purges, allowing Zabuza to train an interesting little child he'd found…a young girl by the name of Haku.

Kisame agreed, though not for the position or the power. It just sounded like he could spill a lot of blood in the fighting.

Unfortunately, despite forces being allocated for bloodline purges and the assault by the Kaguya clan, the coup met with much more resistance than had been anticipated. The arrival of the Mizukage and the loyal members of the 7 Swordsmen also were unexpected, as the plan had originally been to kill the Mizukage before they could interfere. Zabuza had fled, and Kisame's last glimpse of him had been walking on a far off road with Haku at his side, seemingly without pursuit by Mist shinobi.

Then, in a bout of paranoia over the whole affair, the Mizukage ordered the 7 swordsmen captured for execution, even those who had fought with him loyally that night. Their fates became unknown to Kisame, though Raiga managed to see him long enough to give a nasty glare before running in a different direction.

And so Kisame had somehow found himself at the gates to Mizugakure, a veritable army of shinobi facing him. He considered fighting them…he could spill a lotta blood from that many bodies. But eventually he might tire, and that would mean death. While Kisame's loved the death and blood of others, his own life was important to him…not dying was an unconscious fight against the harsh life he had lived, and despite the pain and loneliness that was now dulled to him, he wanted to keep living. Kisame fled, putting much ground between him and his former home.

It had been shortly after that he had been found by that man…by a strange ninja in a black cloak with red clouds. One who went by the name of Pein. It was incredible to Kisame, the amount of power the man was putting out. Kisame knew within a few seconds of gauging this man, this 'Pein'… he'd be crushed without much effort.



By then, Kisame was low on options. Try to run from a ninja even he would admit was stronger…or fight him. Either option could lead to death. But then, Pein had surprised Kisame by making an offer…a place within his organization, as a member of Akatsuki. He'd promised Kisame whatever he wanted, if only he would join and follow orders.

Kisame hadn't asked for money, or power, or land…only if there would be blood to spill.

Even after finding out Akatsuki's plan to dominate the world, Kisame had stayed on. If anything, it meant he could go anywhere he wanted, and if he was given territory, he could kill whomever he wanted, whenever he wanted…and spill as much or little blood as he pleased.

After all his training in Mist to control his blood thirst, Kisame could rein it in better…but he was still vocal about it at times, and couldn't help but enjoy it when he got the chance.

Kisame was now twenty-seven, and as if a late birthday present, he'd just been told about the plan involving the Jinchuriki. He'd heard of the powers the containers of demons could hold, which meant a great fight. Moreover however were their supposed regenerative abilities. Kisame would grin every time he thought of shaving blood from one of them, only for them to heal…and then he would start again and then again, spilling gallons of blood, over and over again…

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Looking up, Kisame realized he was stained in blood…lots of it. He looked around, and realized there were corpses everywhere. Kisame chuckled at himself. He'd gotten so into reminiscing that he'd started actually reached the village and started massacring people without thinking of it. He looked himself over…no wounds. A testament to his skill. And no signs or sounds of life… he'd been thorough, though that wasn't new for him. Kisame then started off towards the town hall. Hopefully Itachi had finished torturing the information they need out of the village leader. Kisame vaguely noted it had only been 10 minutes since he'd left the cliff.

Along the way, he stopped every now and then, tasting a bit of blood he thought looked nice. There were so many flavors. It was like trying different brands of tea or sake.

Unfortunately, despite the wonderful flavors, none of them tasted as sweet as his own blood.

None ever did.

He only paused once more before reaching the town hall to throw a kunai with an explosive note at a water tower. It blew, releasing a torrent of water onto Kisame, who stood under and let the blood wash away, let his robes soak, let his skin be run over. It may have been the 'shark' in him, but Kisame loved the water…though not as much as blood.

Itachi suddenly appeared before Kisame. If he noticed his partner's recent carnage, there was no mention of it.



"The container has gone west, at least 2 months ago. We will need to move quickly, lest it change direction and make our search difficult." Without waiting for a reply, Itachi leapt off, knowing Kisame would follow. Kisame rewrapped Samehada, as he always did, and then took off to catch up with his partner.

As they traveled, Kisame vaguely considered the idea of getting all these demons together. Of having that much power…there wasn't any guarantee that Pein would share it. That he wouldn't give Kisame or anyone else anything out of the whole world domination scheme. It didn't matter though. Kisame didn't need power or land, only blood to spill, the only thing that made him happy. After all, he'd never had much.

He'd never had the love of his parents, and yet he still existed anyway.

He'd never had friendship and only basic comradery with the Swordsman, and yet he still existed anyway.

He'd never had anything but fear, disgust, and loathing from virtually any human being he'd ever met, and yet he existed anyway.

He'd never had an easy life, only one that seemed determined to test him and push him beyond his limits, to destroy him and his happiness and yet he still existed anyway.

He'd never had good or evil, being one who seemed to live in a separate, muddled category know as wicked, and yet he still existed.

He didn't have much in this world. He only really had one thing in the entire world to call his own, to give him comfort. One thing to validate his existence, to define himself as a person, no matter what others thought of it. One thing he'd always had, conscious of it or not. One thing that was able to make him feel alive, and that it was worth it to be alive

His blood thirst.

And for Kisame Hoshigaki, that would always be more than enough.

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_The minds of some Monsters can be even less than what we think they are… disturbingly so…_

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WOOOOOOO!

Let's spill some blood! Yeah! And tear a bunch of people up, throw em around so people can see em…and then kill the people that come to see!



Blood! Yeah!

Fucking DAMN I wanna kill something. Just running around, collecting money with that greedy old fart Kakuzu. Jashin cares not for material wealth, only the massacre. We should go out and kill some fuckers! Yeah, then Jashin would be happy. Maybe butcher an orphanage or something. Ooooh! I know! We'll get a cart full of hungry wild dogs, and dump em in a nursery! Lots more fun than looking for these stupid demon people.

Like I need some shitty demon holders anyway. I'm gonna live forever under the power of Lord Jashin. Death is gonna be the only thing the world needs baby!

Ah shit, Kakuzu's talking again. Do I hafta go with him? I could go kill a bunch of people if I just left… nah. Maybe if I stay a little longer I'll find something fun to kill.

BLOOD!!

Seriously, there's never enough blood. Even that Kisame guy has limits…fuck it! I don't want any shitty limits. There's never enough blood.

MMM, carnage. Blood and guts everywhere. That's gonna be the world when Lord Jashin comes and makes everything our Leader is doing pointless.

I hope there's lotsa blood and it never runs out. You can't get enough fucking blood, nope! Hmm…maybe if you had a giant lake of blood, and you set the blood on fire, and a bunch of blood that was on fire was falling from the sky, and then I could go bathe and shower in it…yeah, that'd be enough blood.

No…wait…

Aww, cock-sucking fuck, that ain't enough!

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_The minds of some Monsters seek expression of their genius, beyond creative imagination …_

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Deidara looked down, peering out at the small village on the far border of Earth Country. What an eyesore…so peaceful and boring. Everyone going on with their lives, nothing special or exciting. It grinded Deidara's nerves, all of the blandness before him. Wherever Sasori had gone to search was probably more exciting. To top it all off, the clay Bushin he'd sent into the town had found no sign of a Jinchuriki ever living there, nor any bounty. The town was useless and boring.



Deidara's hand reached into a bag at his side, feeling around for enough clay. He usually didn't go for the **C4 Garuda** in general… it was special art for one thing, and from a practical stance it didn't do any good to reveal such an ace, with or without other shinobi around. But there were none about, meaning he could use it for…it was the second time now, if he remembered right. Besides, the town was in desperate need of special art, making something as beautiful as **C4** necessary.

He couldn't stand it, but things were as they were. Sasori was looking up a different Jinchuriki lead, somewhere in some country or other, and this town was so…dull! Sasori would have enjoyed it, how the village seemed frozen in time, never changing or decaying, always the same… then again, his Master, as skilled as wise as he was, just didn't understand art. And in an arrogance that probably came with his age, Sasori had made comments that Deidara was a stupid child when it came to understanding art. A child! He was 15 for Kami's sake! Only Master Sasori could be so ignorant about art… and only he could enjoy a town that was so lifeless.

Deidara would change the town soon though. Make it better…make it ART.

Explosions **always** did that.

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It had been a fireworks show Deidara had seen when he was only nine years old. That's what had got him started. The Tsuchikage had turned 50 that day, and the planned celebration had been special enough that the village had acquired some fireworks from afar- despite having clay users in the village who were experts with explosives, the people of Hidden Rock didn't actually know how to produce the much less powerful, colorful cousins of their clay.

One might have thought it strange that a Village with a reputation for ruthless Shinobi would want fireworks. But it was only the shinobi. The villagers themselves were like those of most villages, and weren't of such bloodthirsty stock. In any case, special selected men kept up a special propaganda to keep their shinobi in a more positive light…the news and stories of atrocities committed by men and women of their home never made it past the walls.

Deidara had gone that night to watch the celebration with his parents. He'd never seen anything like the display that night. Such color…such sound…it was beautiful. His mother had called it a pretty art and Deidara had agreed. To be able to make those explosions, to that kind of incredible art…for Deidara, it immediately became a fascination. No, a desire.

Especially as opposed to other kinds of art. That same day his father had taken young Deidara to a museum to stare at old paintings and sculptures done by a few traveling artisans that had passed through the village at one point or another. They were…ok. Pretty and all that. But Deidara knew they never changed. Always staying the same, just sitting or hanging motionless 

every day, probably forever and ever…how boring! To Deidara, explosions like those fireworks seemed to be art. Something that was there only a moment, yet was so amazing that it stuck in your mind long after. Reaching its pinnacle of potential as it exploded…art was that moment.

Art was truly a blast!

Deidara quickly signed up for the ninja academy, knowing that only as a shinobi would he have access to the materials needed for explosions. He eventually graduated…it had been worth three years of learning everything BUT about explosive clay. To Deidara, other than a few essential shinobi techniques and some taijutsu, the whole thing was wasting his time. Time that could have been spent in art. But the moment he graduated, he gleefully requested access to explosive clay and scrolls on its use.

Under Deidara's hand, the clay grew to a potential unheard of. Most users, as proficient as they were, usually used it for very specific bombings, controlled and precise. Deidara could as well, but also preferred larger, wilder, more complicated explosions. Ones that risked both enemy and ally. It didn't matter to him, for he didn't understand-how could anyone hate such intense, unpredictable art? He even worked out how to strengthen the consistency of the clay till he could make more diverse animals from it-most clay users could only make blocky, unimpressive things. It had never mattered, as the explosions and the damage done to enemies was what mattered, but Deidara was swiftly becoming a natural master artist, putting expert clay users in Iwagakure to shame-and not even 15 years old. He even could make birds from the clay, allowing for effective transportation as well as aerial assaults.

Sometime after he turned 14, Deidara had come across a special scroll in the building where explosive clay was manufactured. He'd been toying with some new ideas for clay when he'd tripped into a wall, and accidently hit a secret panel, causing a wall to slide back. Within the secret chamber was only a single jutsu scroll. The title had been strange at first glance- **Ninja Art: Touch of Destruction**. It spoke of a way to alter one's body…to actually create mouths on one's hands! This disfigurement, strange as it was, allowed for a more effective molding of clay and transference of chakra into it, decreasing production time for a clay user and increasing explosive power. It's potential for destruction-as well as the horrifying appearance it gave- had caused the original clay masters, it's designer's, to keep it locked away…till that day.

Deidara had been ecstatic. A way to make his art even more incredible…to make himself as an artist more incredible! He'd immediately left for a private spot in a quarry nearby and performed the jutsu right away. The pain...oh, what agonizing pain! It had felt as if his very hands were being torn open by rusty blades, and stabbed mercilessly. Truly Deidara had suffered for his art! For half an hour it continued, until finally, just as he began to wonder if it was worth it…it stopped. Deidara looked down…and there, where his palms had been, were two mouths, tongues wagging out. He tested his grip experimentally, till he could open and close the teeth easily to 

keep his grip. And the tongues! They seemed hungry from the way the tongues thrashed, and Deidara was only too happy to feed them with clay.

He found the process to be incredible. Such art! He only had to scoop clay into the mouths, feed some chakra, and imagine… and the mouths rapidly created whatever he wanted. Never had his art been this efficient, this…this…beautiful! He'd returned home quickly, wanting to show his parents how he'd become…more. Become an artist unlike any other.

And what had they done? Cried out in terror! Looked at him like an abomination! The young teen watched as his parents called him insane, a monster of all things, as if he'd become inhuman. Didn't they understand how these new hands were vital to his art? That they let him make something beautiful? Were they truly so ignorant?!

Deidara had backed away slowly, close to tears at the hate coming from his formerly loving parents. He'd started to turn to run…when his father spoke. The man…had he really…no. He couldn't have. But he did.

He'd called Deidara's art **UGLY**…

It…it was a travesty to Deidara. _His _art…ugly? Impossible! Such ignorance. Such barbarism, and from his own parents at that! Deidara unconsciously reached into his bag, molding the clay with primal thoughts full of fury and anger. He wanted something…special. Before he even realized what had happened, there was a poof, and a clay Deidara stood before his parents. The young clay teen shot forward, wrapping both adults in a tight grip before dragging them quickly into the basement. As they cried out for their son to stop this madness, Deidara only walked to the top of the stairs, looking down at his struggling parents. The last thing they saw was him, smiling as if this was going to be a joyous occasion for everyone. They only felt the clay mockery of their son 'hugging' them tightly refusing to let go. And the last thing they heard…

"You…you could never understand it…my ART! Katsu!"

The resulting explosion shook the building. Despite being the same size as its maker, the clay Deidara had only enough power to blow both of Deidara's parents to chunks. He looked on, sickened a bit by the blood, by the realization that he'd killed his own parents…but that moment, that point of art as they blew up and became the art he had desired…it drowned out any other feelings in a tide of joy, a rush of pleasure.

Sadly, explosions in a city attract attention, and usually the bad kind. In this case it was hundreds of Iwa shinobi running to the scene. Deidara considered showing them his art, then realized he didn't have very much clay left. He would have to escape, and simply make more once he was far from the village. He quickly formed a large bird to ride, and took off, the wind buffeting his ascent. He stopped for nothing…except for one quick stop, to drop a C2 bomb onto the same museum he'd visited as a child. If he was going to leave, he'd do what he'd wanted to do since 

he'd become a genin-destroy that vile place. It was his last action there…and his mind, a symbolic creation of 'true' art, and eradication of 'false' art.

Leaving the village was no problem for him. Without any restrictions, using the clay as he pleased…that was where the fun in his art would lie.

The next year passed quickly for Deidara. He soon found work in being an assassin bomber for hire. It didn't matter the target, so long as he could get the money need to acquire the materials for his clay. Months of work, watching his art detonate into wondrous explosions…good times, good times. No reasons for anything like the missions of his old village required. Just unrelenting opportunities to create…it was like a non-stop vacation!

And then…'they' had arrived. 3 men from some group called 'Akatsuki'. He'd figured it was just another terrorist cell at the time. There had been one shark-looking guy…one short man who said something about being his partner, whatever that meant…and then there had been HIM.

Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi, who had proceeded to defeat Deidara's art easily, forcing his entry into Akatsuki. Deidara had numbly accepted the change, the uniform, the orders, the nail polish, everything. He didn't care about all of that…but how…how could it have happened?

That genjutsu…it rendered his art useless! Was it...was it possible his art was flawed? Or worse, that Itachi's art was greater? ...No. NO! Inconceivable! His art was perfection, his explosions creating a divine moment of beauty that stole the breath of those who witnessed that one moment. His art transformed the plain, the nothing, into a moment of artistic divinity! But that genjutsu...those eyes…those eyes! They weren't art! They were a mockery, a sham, that was all…and yet a dangerous mockery, the only reason Deidara refrained from challenging the Uchiha afterwards. He only bided his time, working on how to counter such genjutsu. One day…one day, he'd finished what that confrontation had started.

Deidara had even taken a final, desperate measure to ensure he'd kill Itachi someday...he used the forbidden jutsu on his chest, creating a third, larger mouth. It had been a footnote at the bottom, a speculation of potential for the technique. The creators of the jutsu _believed_ that by placing the technique on the chest, the resulting mouth was directly connected to the chakra core of a person. This allowed for the user to make themselves an ultimate bomb by integrating clay directly into the core of a person's chakra, releasing an explosive potential unmatched by any clay technique. It was all in theory though, for unlike the regular technique on the hands, such a suicidal version of the technique had never been tried before.

The idea appealed to Deidara. To make himself a grand explosion…one more terrifying and beautiful than anything before…he could create-no, **become** the greatest work of art in history! Every scrap of pain in his chest had been worth it, and he's sewn that mouth closed, not wanting 

the long, hungry tongue to accidently ingest any clay and set him off…assuming the technique worked as the scroll said. He'd been overjoyed, and had even celebrated by immersing himself in his art the next day- and in that joy, he'd come up with the incredible idea for a new original technique. Something with destructive power beyond anything, except maybe the self-destruction of his chest-mouth. A second place for the title of ultimate explosive, something more powerful than the degree that his C3 explosives reached. One that used his natural mouth to shape the clay.

And he dubbed that terrifying power…C4.

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Deidara stood upon a clay bird high above the small village and grinned, watching as the people ran and screamed at the sight of a giant man walking towards them. As with the first time, he marveled at the size of his copy. Even before exploding it has so much battle potential, able to sweep aside buildings and crush boulders underfoot. Powerful before blowing up…indeed, his art was wonderful!

The copy started to inflate, growing larger if it was possible. It seemed fit to burst…and it did, seemingly popping like a balloon. There wasn't even a rush of air as it happened. The people looked up, wondering what had just happened.

It was one of their last thoughts as Deidara smirked, bringing his hands into the right seal…

"Now…it's time you all join my art, yeah? Revel in the beauty you're about to be part of…and VANISH!" Immediately, the villagers noticed something odd. Their skin…it seemed to be flaking off. It spread, and soon people started screaming as whole limbs broke into millions of pieces. Everything around them- animals, buildings, everything- anything in sight was slowly disappearing, unknowingly destroyed by the millions of tiny explosions inside of them. Soon, flat land was all that remained of a thriving village…no debris, no fire. It was if they'd never existed.

"Ha! That is art, yeah? Master Sasori will never understand the beauty in those moments as they explode and disappear. But Itachi might…yeah, he just might when I use this technique, when **C4 Garuda** turns him into art like I meant to when we met, yeah? Then he won't stare with those…those damn eyes! He won't brush aside my art ever again! My ultimate, perfect, unmatched art!" Deidara panted for a moment, before calming himself, wiping away the spittle and looking to the clear sky. "It is inevitable. It doesn't matter if I'm only 15, yeah? My art is unquestioned. It was from the moment explosive clay first touched my hands, yeah? And now I'm gonna use it to take down those demon holders and show how strong it is. They don't stand a chance, yeah? My art…I've devoted my life to it. It can't fail me, not now, now ever, yeah?"



"After all…art **IS** a blast…"

((A.N.: For those who think it's weird/wrong he's only 15, I'm basing it off things I found online saying he was 19 when he died…this is two years before canon starts, after all…))

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_The minds of some Monsters are drowned in the sins we attribute to them-__Greed__ for instance…_

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That look he gives me whenever I talk of money… he can't understand. A simpleminded creature like Hidan could never understand the allure of money. Cold hard cash in all its forms. Coin, paper…it all smells delicious, and promises happiness for the future. And when we rule this world, I'll take all the money I can get my hands on.

Ah, sweet sweet greed.

To think, some people believe money can't buy happiness!

Foolish philosophers. Do-gooders and saints all. I have no need for such morality. They are simply young and foolish. When I was young, I thought money was everything; now that I am old, I know that it is.

They can fantasize if they wish. Dream of some world where money means nothing. But in the end greed is a part of being human…some of us simply drown ourselves in that bit of humanity.

To think money can't buy happiness… it's all well and good for someone to say they cannot go on money alone. They need love, friendship, a simple life…they can go without money…fine. Let them. More for me. If it makes them happy, and they can survive like that, then they're right….where THEY are concerned. Good for them.

But their pleasure is based on nothing ever interrupting their happy, perfect little lives-famine, mortgage, loneliness, and travel. What can potentially solve all of that? Money. Money buys food, buys shelter, buys transportation, and buys sex…money is an essential since we've evolved beyond bartering goods and services. We still do as a people, but money is the big thing now.

And friends? If you want em, make em. But not every frickin person needs the comfort of friends. Those who have always have some stupid attitude about it because of their experiences- "oh, you can't live without friends!" Fuck em. It's like food- what's good for one person kills the person sitting next to them. I say, if you can live on your own, all you need is a good hooker every now and then, and you can afford her, you're happy.



It's all in context. Money CAN buy happiness.

Money bought the nicely prepared salmon with lemon-butter sauce and leeks I'm eating now while Hidan kills the people in this town, and I'm happy eating it.

Money bought the prostitute I screwed last night-before Hidan killed her- and she DEFINITELY made me happy.

Money paid for the every alteration I ever made to my body, every thread running in my flesh. The ability to take the heart's of others, making me stronger, ensuring I can taste of life's pleasures and be happy virtually forever-assuming, in context, that Hidan doesn't go and kill everyone.

Money can't make you happy?

Fuck that.

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_The minds of some Monsters are trapped in their personal nightmare, unable to find release..._

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I am too well made…

I stand upon the cliffs of a large island nation, it's jagged cliffs forming an imposing wall cutting off all surrounding countries. The water laps and sprays at the jagged rocks tens of thousands of feet below. The sea sprays upwards on harsh winds, coating my robes in mist, but I cannot feel it.

Below me stands the beginning of a small village, it's very existence nothing more than to safe-guard against invasion and serve as a warning. Such places ring the edge of the island. The entire landmass is filled with well trained soldiers…no match for a decent shinobi, except 25,000 fill the island. Another 10,000 are in training, and 965,000 civilians cultivate the land, turn ore and mineral into armor and weapons. A nation bred for war.

It's very location and geography makes it strong. It's agriculture perfect, feeding every mouth. It would be weeks of travel by boat…weeks I have journeyed. Strong enough to pose a threat, but so isolated and out of the way it is left unhindered. The country itself wishes not to interact with the world, and cut's itself off. Armies, storm survivors, refugees…none are allowed into the island. The five great elemental countries do not even bother listening for news of it. It does not listen for news of them. If I was not standing here looking at it, it might as well not exist.

This island, this Land of Daggers, is a strong and powerful country.



Today, I conquer an entire nation.

I am too well made. ..

The people have not seen me yet. Though it's black on brown, I still blend into the rocks, their sentries unknowing. A scroll slides from my robes, held by a string of chakra. I make it without really realizing the action. It unfurls as I prepare to unleash what is inside. I would not even use this, save for the fact Leader-Sama wishes this place crushed quickly, to prevent a future war. We'd win…but it would be a waste of time. Strings of my chakra rush from within my robes, flailing wildly like snakes, seeking something to hook onto. I give them something.

"**Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets**."

They spring forth rapidly, like shots from a multitude of cannons. My 100 puppets, all bladed, all poisonous, all deadly. The sentries below finally take notice, and an alarm sounds. Despite having never been invaded, the people are drilled, they are prepared… but it will make no difference in the end. The puppets glide down quickly, already at the town. Soon, none will be alive to resist them.

The fear in their eyes…I wonder if I ever felt it. Felt anything. Maybe once, when I removed everything of me that was human. No, not everything, for the capsule in my chest contains my heart and brain, necessary for chakra and thought. Beyond that, I removed everything else…everything could mark me as human.

Everything I thought could feel pain… but I was wrong.

Even with my body gone, my heart aches. I thought to make myself like one of these puppets, to remove that pain, and I thought I had succeeded. My body cannot age, for there is no flesh to decay. No disease can sicken me. I feel not the pain of hunger, nor the call of thirst. No blow can kill me save that capsule in my chest, and I guard it well. I am not lonely, for my puppets are always with me. I am like them: a perfect art that goes on forever.

But my heart aches. It reminds me I am still flawed, still human. I live without a body of flesh- can I call myself human? Yet I think for myself, or at least I believe so- can I call myself a puppet. I am some tortured thing in the middle. I'd let my life end, but to what point? To suffer some punishment for my crimes? To cease to exist? To live or to die…life no longer has a consequence for me. I left any behind with Grandmother Chiyo, who cared for me. I want that care, yet at the same time I couldn't care less if she died, even at my own hands.

I am too well made…

My puppets bring slaughter. One soldier stabs upwards, his spear glancing off a puppet's tough wooden frame. Such weapons, in the hands of a non-shinobi, have not the force to even scratch it. The sword attached to the elbow joint cuts down, severing the shoulder, then the whole arm from 

the socket. He screams and stares in dumb amazement, even as the same blade splits his head into sections. By now, I have moved into the battlefield, standing still as the slaughter continues around me. I make no effort to defend myself. It makes no difference.

They cannot kill me. It is like tearing into cane, except these stalks of cane gush and shriek and utter curses. These soldiers are no match for me and mine. Blades come down, cutting through bone and meat like the filleting of fish. The claws of one puppet crash down, splitting a man's head. Brain plops to the ground aside gallons of red life. Another puppet stabs a spear into a child's belly. The spear rips up. Out spill strange, wet, dark shapes. A few more movements and the child comes to pieces.

I am too well made. My humanity is whittled away, too little to be human yet just enough to feel pain no matter what course I take. My existence will unmake this world by Akatsuki's actions, or will cause who knows what, but whatever my actions and their consequences my fate is already decided: an eternity of painful semi-life, until the end of time. I am a greater monster than the demons I will help to seal away, than the man who leads our group. I am a wooden monster of very little flesh, my strings pulling my weapons into combat, even as I pull my own string to guide myself down path of never-ending torment. And even though I know it awaits me, for some reason I simply cannot avert myself from that path…

Hiruko's tail hacks through a woman's legs and the knobs of bone beneath. It comes down again, pumping poison into her heart. The tail retreats, cutting through another soldier. He is so surprised by my attack that he stands, gaping, even though his shoulder is cut down to the pelvis.

I am too well made.

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_The minds of some Monsters cannot let go of the past…yet are able to at the same time…_

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**What is wrong brother?**

Nothing.

**It is something.**

No, it's nothing.

**Then why not move? We've stood here so long. Pein-sama wants the bounty on the man in this town. Let's go.**



I know.

**Then why not go?**

…

**Brother?**

It's a lovely day, isn't it?

**Stop it brother.**

What am I doing?

**You're thinking about them.**

No.

**Yes you are.**

No, I'm not.

**You're thinking about our old village. This one is making you think of them, isn't it?**

No.

**Have you forgotten about it? Have you forgotten the people there?**

No.

**You should.**

…

**You still won't forget. You shouldn't think about them. It's bad for you.**

It WAS our home…

**So, you haven't forgotten…**

…

…

…

**So then, I don't have to remind you about the people there?**

No.

**I don't have to remind you about how they treated us?**

No.

**I don't have to remind you what they called us?**

No.

**What DID they call us brother?**

…Monster.

**Yes, monster. We never hurt them, not once. Yet every day was torment and misery. Just because we looked so different, because we both exist in the body at once. Two souls, one body…and to them, it made us a monster.**

Yes.

**Every day, we struggled to survive, to eke out some kind of living.**

That we did Zetsu.

**We had only each other, that's how it has always been. Sharing this body, this fate. Sharing our bond as brothers, both souls in this body.**

Indeed.

**Their scorn, their torment, their hate…and what did we do?**

Nothing.

**Yes, nothing. It's why we left when we were only a boy. But everywhere is the same, isn't it?**

Yes.

**That's why we're doing this. Pein-sama found us, accepted us, promised us, didn't he?**

He did brother.

**In the new world, we can go wherever we want, do what we want.**

That we can.

**Think of it. No more hiding, no more hate. They will respect us, or fear us, but never again hate us!**

Indeed.

**Or we'll do to them what we did to our old village, the day we finally returned. We'll eat every last one of them!**

Yes.

**We won't need them. Even if we eat them all, I'm all you need brother, and you're all I need. It's always been that way, if you think about it.**

Yes, it has been.

**Well brother, can we go capture the bounty now? And can you stop thinking about them?**

…

**Brother? Are you ok? **

…

**Brother? Zetsu? Please, speak to me brother.**

…

… **Brother?**

…You are right about one thing brother.

**Yes, brother? **

…It's bad for me to remember.

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_The minds of some Monsters have great ambitions, but still believe in the idea that their ambitions spawned from…_

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The end of my work draws near.

Everything I have ever worked for is finally closing in on fruition. My loss to Itachi was only my worst setback. Yet a setback nonetheless. His eyes are great…but the eyes of his brother should hold all the potential I'll need. Every jutsu ever made, or to be made in the future…none will escape my knowing. I will learn everyone, and will continue to learn them and everything else. The truth of this world will be open to me, like the parchment of a scroll.



I will not fade from this world. My soul is strong. It has to be, to have survived this long, to survive anchoring to so many bodies. My immortality is assured. I will not become a God, but compared to every other person I will be more than a God.

I have lived this long, and I cannot be stopped from living longer. My forces grow swiftly. My Sound Five are ready to move when I speak. The only way it could be more assured was if my cursed seal could have a better rate than 1/10 survival on the subjects I experiment on. Oh, well, I'll figure it out. I have all the time in the world…

SO long ago…it seems so long ago I walked the streets of the Leaf village. To think I once bound myself to that place…I wish I had realized even sooner than I did how weak it is. I will crush it, and my old teacher. They cannot stop me. They knew nothing.

My enemies can never understand my ambitions. To hold the truth of the world in the palm of your hand… to live forever as a brilliant god… it is a dream they are not prepared for. I will surpass any limits we shinobi have ever had. Sarutobi-Sensei… sensei. What a laugh. He was never truly a teacher, only a source of knowledge that quickly dried up.

And yet…

There was that one day. The day we visited my parent's graves. I wonder if you still remember it, Sarutobi-Sensei. When I found the snake skin upon their graves. That white snake skin, the symbol of good fortune…and rebirth. You told me, they might have been reborn in new bodies, for me to see again when I grew.

You were right about one thing old man… I have indeed had good fortune. It be that my parents are reborn, and one day I will see them again…

And when I do, they will see their son, a man who has dominated his destiny, an immortal being with no equal, in this life or the next…

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SPOILER! : I never understood why no one mentions this bit from the manga, right before Sasuke kills him. It seems like a great story device, but no one uses it. I just find it a great way to show how even a most innocent dream can spawn such dangerous ambition. Anyway, on with the story.

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_The minds of some Monsters believe in good goals… yet are ruthless in achieving them…_



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It is terrible, this wait. Every false smile, every word that comes from my mouth that complies with his ridiculous requests, his foolish ideals. Sarutobi cannot understand my plans. He sees the harsh lines, the ruthless machinations of my work, and rejects it. And for what? Dreams. Visions of peace based on a trust Konoha cannot rely on. Not if is to survive.

I have understood this for far too long. Alliances, treaties…worth less than the paper they're written on. The Leaf can only grow if we forego the illusion of peace. True peace is won through chaos. Through war. Battles, skirmishes, massacres. They die, but those deaths buy our lives.

And sometimes, allies must die, so that our enemies will go with them…

It is a bold plan, this act of mine. To place any trust in a being like Orochimaru… it's madness. And yet I do it. That vile snake…if all goes well, he will die, or the old fool of a monkey summoner will. We can finish the winner off…and the leaf will be rid of enemies, from without and within.

To trust Orochimaru, to have Sai give him Intel and men and trust for this invasion of his, 2 years from now…truly I risk much. I must be cautious, careful. Every move they make when his forces arrive must be shadowed, studied. The will destroy our weak links, and then we'll destroy them.

But, what drives me to this? My love of this village has always made me cautious of enemies. My plans have always been slow, meticulous, and have succeeded because of it. I wouldn't have even considered such a move like this for many years. There is no true reason to, despite the potential gains from its outcome.

Is it fear? Yet fear of what? I have found nothing yet in recent years to fear…even learning of Orochimaru's invasion was only a worry-one that washed away with our shaky alliance. He'll never see my trap, till he's too immersed in his own designs.

And yet…there was that one night. Over two years ago now. Something happened then, but what I do not know. And since then a sense of…panic? Fear? Something has trailed my thoughts, forcing me to make this move. A strange urgency.

The only thing notable was the disappearance of a Jonin and some civilians. An incident involving Uzumaki…but no. The boy is weak, for he was stolen from my grasp. Sarutobi cannot see the potential Naruto could have shown. A shame, but it will make no difference in the end. He couldn't possibly be the reason for this strange feeling that forces my hand early.

I must ignore this. I cannot falter in the face of such future dangers, or any strange presence on my mind.



I must be strong. I must be resolute. For the village Hidden in the Leaves…

I WILL be victorious.

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_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: For Mizuki to believe I'll fall for such a lie… what a fool._

_Lee: True, but the opportunity is great._

_Naruto: Indeed, I-how the Hell did you get in here. Who are you?_

_??: My name…is Zuo Ci. And I've waited long to test you._

_Naruto: What…_

_Zuo Ci: It's time to test you, and your virtuous heart…_

_Next Time: The wait is over. New powers awaken. What is the purpose of this mysterious sage Naruto?_

_Naruto: Shadows, strike them down! Show them the power of your hearts!_

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Wow. Some stuff, huh? Loved what I did with Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori especially. Those were so awesome for me.

Anyway, he's the bit on Shih. I'll now get started on working out the long, antagonizing process of making the end of time skip and the beginning of the main story, like you've all been waiting for. Until next time.

Ja ne!

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My life is so strange now. I have no body, none but this shell of Darkness. Yet I can think, can touch, can feel…am I alive? I do not know. But my life is gone, and I can never get it back.

Good. I no longer deserve it.



I knew hatred and death from such a young age. The smells and sights of war…only those who live through it truly understand it, how it can beautiful and terrible at once. For me though, I saw only pain and carnage and suffering. I… I hated it. I swore to give my life to preventing such things whenever I could. The death of a few…it was heart-breaking for me, but worth the lives of the many of my home.

But…that changed, when I was set against them…

Against my family.

How my heart ached. Torn between family and my village. Every choice I made in those days was laden with guilt and despair. Made worse by every decision. Every order. But…the worst was when he arrived.

That man…I should never have listened to him. From the moment I learned he still lived…I should have told everyone. Anyone. Taken him on myself, killed him…I was a fool. I was so torn over having to take my newest mission…to kill my family. KILL my FAMILY! Such horrible madness!

I…had to though. The death that could have followed their uprising…the war…I couldn't bear it. More so than the thought of killing my flesh and blood, my girlfriend, my parents… I couldn't let so many die for their pride.

He was so willing, Madara. So eager to help slaughter them all. He told me everything about the Mangekyo Sharingan, what was required to do gain it, even the eventual cost of my eyesight. I agreed. Anything to prevent such mass amounts of death.

I lured Shisui to the river… I overpowered him there, and let my sword take his life. I then healed the wound, and faked his appearance of drowning by death. Yet…it wasn't until after I forged the suicide note, and I returned to his body, that what I had just done washed over me.

My best friend… I'd killed.

My eyes burned. He'd told me my eyes would burn…but the pain! Such agony in my chest, my heart…Never did I think I could feel so horrible. I felt myself blacken out, felt the world slip away…

I know now, years later, what happened. My Heart…it couldn't stand the pain of doing what I'd done. It hadn't been strong enough…no, my Heart had been strong. But that pain and emotion was overwhelming.

When I came to, I had one thought on my mind: to stop this. Everything. I couldn't do it. Unfortunately, I found I didn't have a choice. I was... my Heart split from my body. I know that know, but at the time I only knew I had no flesh body to move. I simply…floated there, looking down at my former self. And then…



It started moving.

My body moved on its own. It rose, looking around; flexing fingers and muscles as if moving for the first time. I understand now…

It was my Soul. Free of the emotion of my heart…and it had my body.

I only knew then something was wrong. The…'other me', it was like staring at a corpse when I looked at my old eyes. There was no emotion…not simply guarded away, but none at all, not the slightest. When it glared at me…I felt so cold.

And then, Madara appeared. He looked over my old body…and then looked around as if searching…and his eye locked onto me. I could that eye smile, as if sensing my plight. I knew then… he'd kill them all. With or without me.

I..floated home. Floated, flew, hovered. I only know somehow I knew to move, to make my way home and warn someone like I should have. But fate was cruel. Unlike the other two, no one seemed to be able to see me. Nothing. I felt like a ghost.

Night came. Night, and with that night the slaughter of everyone I once held dear. My only sick consolation is I myself never was the perpetrator of such carnage…but I set it in motion, and the guilt is more than enough. Everyone, dead…everyone but Sasuke.

Little brother…Oh little brother, forgive me! I wish now I'd spent more time with you. That I'd been the brother I should have been. To see you now, so cold and full of hate years later…it hurts me to the core.

I watched him. Watched my Soul torture Sasuke, and set him up on a path of vengeance. I followed my old body and Madara afterwards. They knew I followed, but did nothing about it. I could not stop them. It hurt more than if they'd tried.

I know what they plan for Sasuke. My Soul will ensure Sasuke gain Mangekyo, as I did…and will then take them, ensuring his sight, and his power.

A second monster like Madara…I couldn't allow it.

But I was helpless. I watched in agony as my Soul played his part, acting like a caring brother, begging to Sarutobi, lying to Danzo. He played it well.

For months, I failed to make any contact, and soon I gave into despair. I drifted within the forests of Konoha, full of despair and hopelessness, ashamed at my failure. Other Hearts were my only company, but I cared not for them. I only knew the agony of the terror I'd unleashed.

And then…that day came. When I felt one night a wave of sudden…hope, pass through me. I couldn't understand it. What could cause me to feel life again in my Heart?



Naruto. He did, and I will be forever grateful for it. I had watched his suffering before I left for the forest. It had only saddened me at the time, another tortured being. A sad thing, his life. I wish now I'd seen him one day, and done…something. Anything. But I was foolish enough to think him a monster. I am the monster, but this boy…he is a savior. He saved himself, his friends…and me.

He will never know I watched him once. He may never even know the happiness he's brought me, the peace of mind. The simple joy of behaving like a complete child, and immersing myself in life's tiny pleasures. The strength of Heart I've found. The comfort in such a thing as Darkness… HIS Darkness.

I will not remain this way. No, I cannot, simply remain a shadow. I must…I must get stronger. Become a greater Heartless than I am now. I need to, for Naruto. After all he's given me, it is the least I can do.

I will try to protect my brother, if he still remains my brother, for I worry he will end up like me.

I will, as a Shadow of the Heartless, follow Naruto Uzumaki and his friends into battle, and kill those who stand in the way of his goals and dreams, if they remain as true and good as him.

I can feel it. Something is going to change. It may be years from now, but it will. I must be ready when it comes.

I may only be the Heart of Itachi. I do not know if I really am him anymore, being only half. But I do know I have done wrong. And that Sasuke is still my brother, whether I'm dead or alive. I will not rest, not till my Soul, my body, and Madara Uchiha all lie dead…

…

…

These days, when I don't train, or play, or guard Naruto, I meditate. Or, I call it that. I shut all consciousness away, barely connecting to my shell of Darkness. It allows me to more clearly sift through my memories.

There are three I always look for.

The three memories that Naruto saw the day he first met me. I always remember them most clearly. They cause me such pain…and that is why I always remember them. My punishment will be forever to remember them, until the day my Heart is destroyed.

The little boy…Sasuke, trying to be the younger brother to me, wanting me as his older brother, even though I pushed him away and maybe never truly deserved him…



The woman with raven hair… Mother, who I loved so much, that it tore me apart as my Nobody slew her, simply because she knew of the coup and said nothing, whether she approved or not. Mother, I forgive you…

And that sword… the light gleaming off of it, as it came down upon Shisui Uchiha, my closest and dearest friend, a man who was like my older brother… I'll always remember the moment my sword came down, and closed his terrified eyes forever…


	10. Apologies and Explinations

It's been a very long time since you all got an update from me. I want you all to know that this story is NOT on hiatus, and is NOT canceled. I simply feel you all have a right to know what has prolonged it.

Mostly, it's that not too long ago my Grandmother passed away. Mom-Mom was a loving, caring woman, and it hurt to lose her. This world is a touch darker without her. She died a thankfully quick and painless death at the age of 81, unlike my Grandfather, who died over 10 years ago from a drawn out suffering in a hospital. It was impossible to work on this story for a good while.

Part of it is the chapter itself. There was a 10 page section I ended up rewriting completely, either from continuity problems or because as a writer I felt I wasn't giving you my best.

Also, there was a part where I had planned to stop, after about 36 pages… but then I couldn't help but go into where the next chapter would have started. And then I wanted to go to the big psychological fight (you'll see), and then Mizuki, etc etc. Like with many authors, my chapter spiraled into a vortex of deep ideas and an uncontrollable urge to keep typing. Currently, it's up to 53 pages, but is almost at the end.

And then, there were the usual small problems that all authors here face with long stories- writers block, lack of time when balancing with life, changing ideas, etc.

But, you're patience and devotion to what I hope is a decent story is going to pay off. Hopefully this new chapter will be shown within a day or two.

As always, keep reviewing, and I'm still looking for omakes more than a page long to put into a big omake-only chapter.

There are currently no votes at all, but that may change later on, so as always keep carefully reading the stuff I type before and after the actual chapter.

One last thing. Some people have reviewed me lately, and they are very new to the series. I know they are because instead of reviewing the story as a whole, or the latest chapters, they give me reviews of the first chapter or two, and then never review anything new. I politely ask my readers not to do this- your reviews of chapters I wrote about a year ago, while thoughtful, don't really help my current progress with this story.

Ja ne!


	11. The Wait is Over New Powers Awaken

Wow, long time huh? I've been trying to fix all the spelling errors and such, and what was going to be two chapters became a single entry. Also, I've been working a lot of full day shifts at work and it drains me. Gone were the days when I could relax at home all day, and work on this with a fresh mind whenever I felt like it. I was averaging 5-6 hours … not healthy, but the best I could do.

I'm now back in college and sophomore year has only gotten worse. I get really busy and tired (also had a head cold, and wanted to build up my social life a bit more).

I promise though, I'll never let this story die… even if, God forbid, I'm reduced to ridiculous plot points and crappy spelling, I won't give up. I swore to myself I would before I start my other story ideas.

Well, it's time to introduce Shino, and to see how all of our heroes have improved in two years. There are some…interesting things here. Read closely, or later parts won't make sense.

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Eleven**

_**The wait is over. New powers awaken. What is the purpose of this mysterious sage Naruto?**_

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While there were many islands and continents on the planet, there was one super continent, much larger than the rest. Each country on the world's great continent had one daimyo that, among his official duties, would now and again change the Era title of the country out of superstition. Every country always had a name for their own personal Era, a tradition stretching back generations of time.

Long before the Kyuubi attack upon the village of Konohagakure, a previous Daimyo of Fire Country changed the Reign Title of Fire Country to 'Established Calm'. This decision was later scene as ironic by the future daimyos, as the second and third ninja wars had followed this soon after. However, the name did not change, for it was hoped the name would soon come to pass into reality, and that peace would flourish for longer periods of time.

In addition, when referring to the year on parchment or in conversation, the year revolved around a certain point, the year 0 BC, or 'Before Chakra"- for it was the year Chakra had first been discovered by man. Long before the supposed 'Sage of the Six Paths' was first heard of, Chakra had been discovered, though none knew then how to mold it for jutsu, only how to increase the body's speed and strength with it. Any year after that was known as "After Chakra', or AC. For a long time it was such.

After the attack of Kyuubi upon Konoha, the Daimyo of Fire Country at the time, Kaouza Yamamora, came to the conclusion that the current Reign title was unlucky, as if anything it seemed to bring the opposite of calm. Barely a week after the incident, he changed it to 'Rising Tranquility', in the hopes it would signify peace coming from the troubles of the past era, like a phoenix rising from its own ashes.

Furthermore, to honor the dead of Konohagakure, he officially changed the country's year reference to BK and AK, or 'Before Kyuubi' and 'After Kyuubi', making all rear references rotate around that specific year. BC and AC were only used in documents sent to other countries which did not choose to change their year reference to match.

The following letters were written in the year 12 AK, in the Era of 'Rising Tranquility'…

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_Dear Kento,_

_You lucky son of a bitch. Mom was right, you really are too lucky for your own good. I can't believe I actually have to pay you up on this one. The package to be delivered with this letter contains therein the amount we agreed upon. _

_Ironically, I didn't even hear any stories about these guys within the week, which was the event we bet upon. I actually saw them! Kiara and I were traveling into town, and were a few miles out when some members of the 'Red Snake' gang showed up. About a dozen of them. They've been a problem around here lately, but the Daimyo's soldiers and the odd Konoha ninja that come here never seem to be able to find them. We didn't have much money on us, and I tossed them everything we had. But they didn't leave. The way they were eying Kiara…it made my blood boil and my spine shiver all at once._

_I had only just started thinking about whether or not I could distract them long enough for her to run, when 'they' showed up. They were just as you described- 4 tall figures, 2 in all black with heavy cloaks, one in the same clothing but of an off-white color, and one in a deep blue. Couldn't see their faces or bodies or nothing. Don't know how they kept their faces in shadow like that._

_So one of those gang guys runs at em, and swings a dagger at the taller one in black. Thought that one was done for. It actually looked like the blade was touching the neck. I blink-and suddenly the dagger is lodged up to the hilt in the gang member's forehead. Couldn't see it happen. I blink again, and the one in blue is gone. Suddenly I hear screams and some cracking…and they're all dead. Just a few seconds and they're laid out on the ground, twisted and broken. Didn't even see it occur._

_The slightly shorter one in black turns to me, and said we were fortunate they had been in the area. Wasn't even rude, just reminding us how lucky we were. Was a guy, but the voice was completely garbled. I think you're right. They must be ninja, because it was perfectly done. No mask for any voice modifier or nothing. Anyway, they didn't ask for money, or favors, or any reward. And they left in a blur-there one second, gone the next, faster than I could even blink._

_Never thought I'd say it, but I'm glad you were right. I didn't think these guys, whoever they are, actually existed. Hope they keep saving our asses, because Konoha definitely ain't. All their hype about working with the Daimyo on the bandit problem, and where were they the whole time? Meanwhile, these guys save us by accident!_

_Your brother,_

_Kenta_

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_Danzo-sama,_

_Per your orders, Operation 'Hidden Dagger' has been implemented. Sai has delivered the ANBU identity folder, as well as given Orochimaru the best positions for the summoning rituals. Both sides are now in full understanding of how the invasion will start._

_We successfully infiltrated the village while Orochimaru spoke with Sai. We were not seen. The strength of his forces is average at best. While numerous, a low of number of his ninja are Jonin, or possess skill equal to their rank. Once we turn on them during the invasion, they will fall quickly._

_As per your instruction, this scroll was sealed with a vial of your blood, ensuring it will be your eyes only. We left no tracks upon leaving, and neither did Sai. It's just as you planned sir- if it weren't for Sai, it's as if we never even set foot within the Sound village._

_Falcon_

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_Orochimaru-sama,_

_Things have gone according to schedule. As instructed, Danzo's men who infiltrated Base Alpha saw only the men left after our best shinobi were removed to Base Gamma. They foolishly believe their spy's were undetected, and that we are ignorant of any treachery on their part. After reviewing the copies you sent me, I've concluded that the information they have provided us with is actually genuine. Best estimates indicate they plan to turn on us mid battle, when our forces have supposedly sustained losses…they will never see our double-cross coming. Though the Leaf itself will never see any of this coming. As you predicted, while its shinobi are still numerous and skilled, its security is lax even when on alert, at least compared to their old standards. Still, the recent events around Fire country, of which I need not remind you, seem to be shaking the cobwebs loose. At this rate, things may be a bit trickier than we anticipated. The Hokage himself is starting to condition himself. I admit I am amazed that at his age he can still push himself without possessing a younger body like you do._

_The Hokage is also locked within a non-hostile power struggle with Konoha's council. Both the civilian and shinobi members are split, some for him, some for Danzo, and some for themselves. Sarutobi is still as kind and sentimental as you once described him, and works too hard at reaching compromises, sometimes undermining his original motions or intentions. Unfortunately, all of the clan and shinobi seats-with the obvious exception of Danzo- are loyal, and so are the civilian seats. Bribery won't work here. Ending investigation into extra inside help._

_Closer investigation of Sasuke Uchiha reveals he is perfect as your next host. Skilled for his age, seemingly hungry to become stronger…and best of all, he has no connection to anyone within the village, practically slapping any attempts away. If it were not against whatever plan you seem to be scheming, I'd suggest we take him now. He seems perfect-I think he might actually survive the Curse Seal's application._

_Per beta plan 'Maelstrom', I have finished evaluating the Nine-Tails container Naruto Uzumaki. Despite purposeful sabotage within the academy, he seems to possess an average skill set. He seems to blend in with the other students who don't come from a clan. I was surprised, expecting his skill level to not be worth mentioning, yet it is nothing special. And yet…I feel as if there is more. It seems at times like he is holding back, though I cannot be sure. He will also disappear when not within the academy, or within any official park or eating establishment, only one of which providing him with business. I will admit to being unable to find him. _

_The boy, while an average fighter, is definitely hiding major skills at stealth and deception. Potential in these areas unknown. It is unknown if these disappearances are related to the demon, and he seems to still be ignorant of the creature or the seal. Still, his social isolation, apart from a few acquaintances that seem to have little real connection with him, makes it apparent that convincing him to abandon Konohagakure is possible. I'll keep tracking him when my duties don't prevent me, and will file a final report before the Chunin exams on whether or not he can be turned to us. Having a Jinchuriki on our side, as a fighter or an experiment, would be a wonderful consolation prize. As before, I would suggest not using him as a vessel, since the seal upon him is a wild factor. Any information the Fourth had on the seal is lost or hidden, and I am unable to find it._

_As per your instruction, this scroll was sealed with a vial of your blood, ensuring it will be your eyes only. Soon, everything will come together Orochimaru-sama…I must admit, I tingle with excitement at the thought of what's to come._

_Kabuto_

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_To whom it may concern at Sukahara Shipping,_

_We appreciate your readiness in keeping our business under the table, as well as not asking for our actual contact information. _

_In regards to our order, we will be requiring an extra half of all building materials, including lumber, steel, etc. In fact, an extra half of everything we have requested. To make a show of good faith, we have enclosed half of what the new total will come too._

_However, the date of delivery has been pushed back. We regret to inform you our plans have changed, and we will require you to hold all materials until a new date can be ascertained. As an apology, an extra 15 percent is enclosed in the second envelope._

_As always, we thank you for your discretion and willingness to cooperate._

_Sincerely,_

_Shadow_

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_Dear Bob,_

_You suck._

_Jay_

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_To Sarutobi, Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf,_

_My old friend, it has been too long since we last spoke in person. I eagerly await the upcoming Chunin exams, not only for the exams themselves but the chance to see you again. I'm sure that as always, you have many good stories to tell._

_Unfortunately, this letter is not just for a friendly check up. Serious matters have come to my attention, and I am becoming very worried._

_Recent reports from your Sannin Jiraiya on this 'Akatsuki' group worry me. My own intelligence network, while not on the level of his own, has found that men in clothes matching their description have been collecting massive amounts of money in bounties across the 5 Nations, mostly at illegal collection stations. However, I'm much more troubled by the idea of all but two of the Jinchuriki being kidnapped, and the recent capture of the remaining unsealed Biju. Kumo has lost both of its container's to this group, and only with the utmost secrecy has kept the new from going too public. I am afraid I must give you a direct order to have Jiraiya dedicate the bulk of his efforts to discovering what this groups plans to do with them. The danger surrounding those demons and the people who contain some of them…it doesn't bode well for any of us. Guard your own container well._

_Recently a merchant ship was lost in a storm only to reappear a month later, saying they actually made it onto the Land of Daggers. As you know, no ship or person has set foot there in a long time. It…was a wasteland. The entire inhabitance was slaughtered, and every building and plant was burned to the ground. The island was a bare rock. While we have no official suspects, I'd imagine S-rank ninja like those suspected of being part of Akatsuki could manage this. Still, to have defeated an entire nation bred for war…it frightens me, whatever power did this._

_As always, I have no new news on my part concerning Orochimaru, save one piece I will mention shortly._

_I have always given great trust and leeway to your village, only because you have always repaid it with loyalty and devotion to your work. You and the shinobi you command. You've brought pride and respect to yourselves and to me. However, recent events, though small in nature, are starting to build into something more troublesome._

_For instance, we recently had to detach half of a company ((A.N.: One company is 1,000 soldiers)) to Sea Country when word was sent to us anonymously about a hidden research lab there… one run by Orochimaru. Though he was not present, a subordinate of his named Amachi was, and has been kidnapping civilians for experimentation. Our men broke in to find a tied up Amachi and all the people taken to the island base dead, save a young girl named Isaribi that he was just about to start experimenting on. She is fine, and he is now in custody, though interrogation has revealed nothing save his mutterings about 'the true darkness', whatever that means. While the end of this operation pleases me, I'm concerned, considering the patrol you recently sent to check the area reported no leads concerning the disappearances._

_Again, despite your promise that the area was safe, there was recently an attempted __coup d'état in the Land of Greens, which the feudal lord only barely survived. An entire Legion ((A.N.: 10,000 soldiers)) was required to ward off any ideas of invasion from other nations. Thankfully the land is safe, and the Feudal Lord even reunited with his daughter after many years._

_Meanwhile, similar events have gotten my attention. A takeover in the Land of Birds, which was thankfully stopped, but only after the feudal lord was murdered. A missing-nin who temporarily took over Katabame, and is now on the run. Yet another coup d'état, in the Star Village this time, which resulted in the death of the Sandaime Hoshikage. The leader of this movement, Akahoshi, is now dead and the star destroyed. Half a legion is being stationed there for their protection. _

_This list goes on a bit my friend. Despite reports from your men on many of the aforementioned areas, I get new reports of corruption and murder. And how are these incidents resolved? Not by my men, or yours, but by an anonymous group the common people have taken to calling 'Shadow'. Fitting really, since catching them is as hard as catching one. They leave no trace, seem to use voice modulators, and wear heavy clothing with hoods. No possible identification, and from what I've been told they haven't even resorted to ninjutsu or genjutsu or kenjutsu, apparently so skilled they take their opponents head on without ever revealing themselves. The only indication so far that they are actually shinobi is their expert use of the Shushin technique you've told me about. Every instance has apparently been reported by them anonymously, and only after solving them. It seems likely the group was involved every time, considering they gave us details only they could know having solved these problems. They have also been spotted al collecting stations, and have collected almost as many bounties as Akatsuki, despite the fact that none of their bounties are of the more honest type._

_The people rely on your men and mine for protection Sarutobi. And now all of this… we're being humiliated by an unknown group of four, doing what my armies and your ninja haven't. The talk among the civilian population is that we don't care anymore, or are foolish for not seeing any of this. We're going to become a laughingstock at this rate._

_I care not for any vain reputation; you know that to be true. I care for my people, with all of my heart. But this humiliation seems like we're practically asking for trouble from other nations, like Kumo or Iwa. We need to show an appearance of strength and a rock-steady position, to avoid any conflict._

_I give you much credit for your work Sarutobi. But my friend, I now question the commitment of your men, something that truly hurts me. For these instances to be missed…I wonder what else is going on without our notice._

_As for this group, I wouldn't even mind the work they've done, but they seem to refuse any contact with us, and seem to carry no allegiance. Vigilantism is fine when a purpose is shown and no one is hurt, but they have shown none. A lack of trust is therefore present, and I refuse to give them leeway because of it. I want them brought into custody so their intentions may be found._

_My old friend, rarely must I speak to you as a Daimyo, as a ruler to a subject with such a harsh tone, and I much prefer writing as if to a good friend, which you are. But these instances seem ominous somehow, and I can't help but worry. I had hoped changing the Reign Title would bring better fortune, and it has, but our tranquility seems to be getting disrupted. I ask of you to work hard as always, and bring peace of mind, to me and my people. I put our fate in your hands._

_Sincerely,_

_Kaouza Yamamora_

_P.S.: As always, I hope your clan enjoys the crate of aged bacon that accompanies my letter._

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Takero ran. He couldn't think of any other option. He was a fighting man normally, and preferred the idea of going down swinging. But how could anyone fight those…things? He dodged around trees, breathing hard as his legs pumped. In the back of his mind Takero wondered how things had gone so horribly wrong.

It had been so simple. The five of them had planned yet another ambush on a small road in the Land of Claws, in an area the Feudal Lord didn't even protect. Their gang had hit civilians hundreds of times, without any retaliation. It had gone to perfectly…and then _they_ had shown up. That fucking Shadow group people talked about. One of them had snapped, and called out to seemingly the air…

"_Shadows, strike them down. Show the power of your hearts!"_

…and then things had gone to Hell. A bunch of black… things had jumped from the trees-fucking black monsters!-, and in less than five seconds had wasted the others. Then the one that called them out looked at him, and said they'd run into them by accident. Accident?! The whole operation, their lives, fucked up by an accident!

Takero just ran, stumbling over tree roots. There was a town up ahead. He'd heard they never showed up in heavily populated places, or at least stayed their long. If he could make it, maybe-

But it wasn't to be. As Takero looked back, he suddenly seemed to hit what felt like a brick wall and fell back onto his ass. He looked up, and froze. It was one of those… things. A giant one, with manacles on its wrists. Takero backed up, and then felt his back hit something. He looked up… and saw one of the group members in black standing there.

"Y-you're with that group 'Shadow', aren't you?" The figure in black cocked his head a bit, and then spoke in the garbled voice Takero had heard about.

"We originally decided not to use that name. You wouldn't understand, but we found it incredibly ironic, and a bit corny. But people have their own ideas it seems, and now we're stuck with it. That'll change someday though… of course, you won't live long enough to understand why." The figure in black held out a white-gloved hand, and with a small flash of light appeared a long spear. Takero couldn't help but marvel at it, even as he almost pissed himself. It had to be six feet long, the shaft a black material that looked sturdy, yet flexible enough to bend. ((A.N.: If you've ever seen the movie 'Hero' or played "Dynasty Warriors 5-6, you know what I mean.)) The blade of the spear was a gleaming white, looking sharp enough to slice steel or rock like butter. It was beautiful…and then it pointed at Takero's throat, reality set back in, and Takero really **did** piss himself.

"W-wait! Please, don't kill me. We can give you gold, valuables. We have a small cave-"

"About a kilometer north of here. We watched you leave it after recognizing you from civilian description. We've already cleared it out… even found the bodies you guys dumped in the back and that…" The figure paused, and then sound disgusted as he kept speaking. "room, where you took the women you kidnapped before you killed them. By the laws of Fire Country, you'd be sentenced to execution…we'll be doing that." Takero raised his hands in fear and desperate self-defense, causing the figure in black to chuckle. "Oh, **I** won't be killing you. No, my friends…they've kept my soul free so far from that sin. I know I'll have to someday, in my line of work, but I'd rather keep that day as far off as I can…but here I am rambling. In any case, I just did this because making a guy like you piss yourself was funny as Hell. I'm not making someone like you my first kill. I definitely won't be killing you…"

Takero scooted back in a panic, till he hit something else. He looked up to see the legendary figure in off-white now, holding the strangest sword he'd ever seen. A black half diamond gave way to a short pale white handle. From there it connected into a black and yellow hilt, the outside looking like a cog, yet the inside strangely like a crescent moon. The long, thick gray blade itself emerged from the curve, with more jagged curves running along its side. Each side was covered with three diamond designs, strange lines emerging from them. And instead of a traditional point, the top of the sword melded into a yellow star, all four paint shaped almost like kunai. Attached to it was a seven-pointed blue ornament piece. Beautifully decorative, yet Takero didn't have to be a sword smith to see that it was just as solid and deadly as the rest of the blade.((A.N.: See profile.)) Takero turned back to the man in black, and felt a chill somewhere in his chest as two yellow orbs suddenly shone beneath the black hood.

"But she will."

Takero turned back, barely able to catch sight of the sword in her slender pale hand descending upon him…

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_((10 seconds later))_

As the newly formed Soldier Heartless vanished from sight along with the Large Body, the man in black turned to his female companion. His spear vanished, as did her sword, and for a minute they looked around, all senses on alert, till they were sure no one was around to hear them. They finally relaxed.

"…We'd better get going. It'll be dark soon, and we'll need some sleep for class tomorrow. Iruka seems a tiny bit suspicious when we all show up tired in his class. He's very intelligent; we should just recruit him now."

"No. Too much is going on at the moment. When things calm down a bit and our position is more secure, I'll be sure to ask him. He's a good man, and will be a great asset. For now, we'll lie just a bit longer." The figure in white sighed. She could admit to that point. Her partner was incredibly intelligent, as she was, but his insight was a bit better than hers sometimes. "Besides, we still need to find a location for our…'special project'. The materials can't stay in storage forever. Once we have a location, building should only take a week at most, thanks to the Heartless."

"Well, alright then." As they turned to leave, she hesitated just a moment, staring up a bit at him. "If…if I hadn't been there, would you have killed him? Could you have?" He stopped, clearly fazed by the question. It took a moment to answer, and it was with a resigned voice at that.

"I don't know. I just thank Kami you've all allowed me to keep myself clean of killing yet… I wonder if I'll ever get over the thought of really taking a life away, no matter the reason or cause."

She sighed and went over to him, taking his hand into hers. She grinned, not needing her special eyes-either sets of them- to know it was making him blush. "You will. You've overcome so much, and you'll make it through this too." The one in black smiled under his hood, and turned to her, squeezing her hand.

"Hinata… how did I ever come to possibly deserve someone like you?" The girl only smiled, and squeezed back tighter.

"By being you, Naruto my love…and that's all I'll ever ask of you."

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Far, far away, two more figures stood out on the open sea. It was a peaceful day really. Not a cloud to behold, a warm summer breeze. Really the day couldn't have been more perfect. Well, except for the waves crashing up and down. And the very loud animalistic roar. And the unfocused but still huge killer intent. All of which was coming from a giant, blue, three-tailed Turtle Biju churning the water…yeah, other than that, it was actually pretty nice out.

"So, this is the three-tails, huh? Those tails look faster than I would have expected. I still can't believe it took so long to find it." **"Yup. So, you gonna use Tsukuyomi on it? I've heard you've used it on Kyuubi, but I bet it'd work on a weaker demon just fine…"** Zetsu looked to his new partner for a response, and watched the Uchiha stare up at the beast almost… longingly.

"You know…we take so much time planning to use these creatures…did you ever stop and just really LOOK at them?" He stepped forward, and seemed to be tracing along the demon's figure, taking in every minute detail. "So powerful…if it had the intelligence required to control its power, how much more deadly it would be. Truly a marvel of nature. Almost a shame to imprison them. One can only wonder how such creatures came to be, and why there are only nine." He turned, and despite the orange mask Zetsu felt the man was smiling. "Just as I wonder how you discovered my identity so quickly. I truly misjudged you Zetsu…" The plant man almost seemed to bristle at the comment, unsure if it was an insult or a compliment.

"Never doubt the forest Madara. When you know how to speak to them, the plants can see things even beyond your special eyes…" **"Yeah, and hear them too. Anyway, let's just hurry up and knock this reptile out. This thing smells to high Kami."** Madara only chuckled, taking a few steps toward the creature in front of them. It roared, tails lashing about as it getting ready to charge.

"As for your earlier comment… I suppose Tsukuyomi would work just fine here, but…yes, why not?" Unseen by Zetsu, the tomoe in his eye started spinning, until they formed a most peculiar design… "A beast thriving in water…water water everywhere…hehehehe!" His voice changed with the giggle, sounding again like his 'Tobi' persona. It only lasted a few moments, but it was enough to further what Zetsu thought at times: that his true leader was a few genin short of a squad. "So ironic… that in water, I crush him by fire…"

"**Amaterasu.**"

Black flames suddenly burst into existence, surrounding the mighty Biju. It thrashed, trying to shake of the terrible flame that caused it to hurt so! It dove down, desperate for relief, just barely intelligent to know that fire extinguished water. Deeper and deeper, all the while thrashing and twisting and roaring in agony…

"I think that's a bit overkill…" **"Yeah, we wanna knock it out, not barbecue it. Can't seal a dead demon, can we?"** Madara just stepped back, gesturing with a hand.

"…Wait for it…wait for it…" Madara watched the water where the demon had dove with silent intensity…then jumped for joy-literally- as the beast finally surfaced, floating on its side even as the flames kept burning, unfazed by the cold ocean. "Ha! Told you. Kami it felt good to use that, haven't had a good reason in a while… now, I believe since I did the work, you drag it back, right?" Madara chuckled, and kept chuckling even as Zetsu lashed ropes to the demon, muttering the whole time. Thanking Kami he'd brought soldier pills, the plant man started slowly…veeery slowly hauling the demon back to shore. It was good they could seal the creature on the beach… both souls in that body were already mumbling about what Madara probably tasted like. The masked Uchiha sighed, and then looked out on the now calm ocean. He removed his mask for a moment, feeling the wind whisper across his skin as the sun kissed his ebony hair.

"Brother…I'm so close. And when it's all over, then my life will truly begin, for both of us. Every smaller continent of this planet, however many there are…I'll find them all. I'll live the life we never would have known, the life that was unfairly denied you…I just need this first. I…I don't know whether you'd approve of what I'm doing. But this need for vengeance…it bores at my mind brother. I yearn for it, and soon I will be satisfied… soon your sacrifice will be made worthwhile, your death truly fulfilled in purpose. I always felt betrayed by our clan…but brother, oh my brother, it was you they truly betrayed."

"When we were young, and we trained, we had seen every environment. Told that to know them was to know the battleground…but we never saw the ocean. We were only told about it…you should be able to see it. Like how you selflessly allowed me to see it…" As Madara set his mask back on he looked out upon the ocean's horizon. And his eyes, his dear brother's eyes, they quivered as if trying to hold back letting tears go at the thought of his departed sibling.

"Good Kami Izuna, I wish you were here to see it…it's more beautiful than words could ever describe…"

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"**SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!"** As he sighed, Iruka took a moment to look around at the class as they settled down. If he ever retired as a ninja, he'd probably be able to make a fortune as an author on books for future academy teachers. He'd be able to devote an entire chapter in particular to one simple rule he'd come to find true: when using a subtle genjutsu to make your head look huge while yelling, kids will always go quiet as the grave.

"Now as I was saying, the Genin exam is tomorrow as you already know. I expect you all to give it your best shot, and remember this: even if you fail, I'm proud of the progress you've all made." As the smiles started growing in general, Iruka thought on another chapter for his book, which he would entitle "How to lie to students through your teeth".

True, the class in general had made great progress. Unfortunately, this was offset by the fact that much of it came from the about eight or nine children from clan-families. Those who came from a normal background simply didn't stand out well, and just were not ready mentally ready for such a job. Especially the female students…he wasn't a sexist, but Iruka frowned at the newer generation of Kunoichi, who seemed to be a bit subpar in general. The sole non-clan exception was Sakura. A brilliant girl, no doubt… but physically she hadn't made any substantial progress since the year started. She also fawned constantly over Sasuke Uchiha, and every time he rejected any female advances only for the girls to keep on going, it made him question her intelligence a bit…or at least her common sense. Still, she passed the minimum of academy requirements, so he really couldn't fail her as long as she did well. If she ended up on a team with Sasuke though…Iruka mentally pitied whoever would have to get her to take it seriously then.

Sasuke… another problem child. True, he was definitely gifted for a Genin, and would pass the academy finals easily. But his teamwork and attitude left much to be desired. If it came down to actual teamwork… well, the boy probably wouldn't make it through the Genin Exam itself, whatever Jonin ended up giving it. It would be a tossup between his status within the village, and the common sense of actual shinobi who decided on a ninja's readiness…Iruka was just glad he didn't have to make that decision.

Other than that, everyone else seemed normal.

Save a few mystery children.

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The first, whom was no longer with them, was Lee. The boy had failed the test a few times, and had been in Iruka's class multiple years. The boy was nice enough and incredibly dedicated, and despite his inability to use chakra to even a basic extent, the boy was incredible with Taijutsu for an academy student.

It was only a year ago, after failing the exam a third time, that Lee had caught the attention of Gai Maito. THAT had caused a small stir. Despite having a personality that was…quirky to say the least, Gai was a renowned Jonin and an excellent master of Taijutsu. Apparently he'd been watching the finals the few previous years, and had found Lee's skill to be promising. When the number of graduates had been uneven that year, Gai had used an old shinobi bylaw, claiming a student as an apprentice. He also took Neji Hyuuga and a young weapons expert named Tenten, giving him a three-man team as had been required of him.

Needless to say, Lee had been thrilled by the honor such an action carried. And despite Gai's…over-joyed attitude at his new apprentice, Lee couldn't get enough of the man. He admired Gai's work ethic, and how even a setback was nothing more than a simple obstacle to overcome. From what Iruka had heard, Lee was soon seen using that same 'Flames of Youth' philosophy… though luckily not to an extent that he spouted it off every 5 seconds like his sensei. And he'd kept his volume under control. A blessing really: Gai was a great man no doubt, but one was enough, and he already had Lee wearing one of those skin-tight suits, albeit a black one...

What had pleased Iruka the most was what had happened only a few months after Gai had taken Lee in. Somehow, an uncomfortable discussion had arisen after Lee had been defeated by Neji again. In the process of talking, Gai discovered something he'd never actually known about Lee: that the boy was an orphan. Gai had assumed the child went home to his parents every night, and not an empty apartment. From tales he'd heard, Iruka knew that Gai had always been very fond of the kid, whom he said was just like him at a young age. So it was a happy surprise to Iruka when the news reached him: that Gai had adopted the boy. Iruka had smiled widely when hearing that. Lee was a good kid.

Though living with Gai…Iruka had to give Lee Maito credit. Kami knew what the boy's new father was like in the morning…

What had mystified Iruka about Lee was over one day when he'd seen Lee training alone in the woods. Iruka had wanted to check on his old student after hearing about the adoption. The kid had seemed perfectly fine. But after the practice, Lee had taken off his shirt to put on a clean one. It had only been for a few seconds, but Iruka saw…some kind of tattoo over Lee's chest, right where his heart would be. Not a recognizable gang sign… not any curse mark from any files Iruka knew of… Iruka had been stumped, but let it, go, hoping maybe Gai would solve that mystery one day.

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Next was Shino Aburame, a new student this year. Like many of the boy's clan, Shino had from the start been quiet, reserved, and overly polite, with a vocabulary that puzzled even Iruka sometimes. As protocol, Iruka had taken the children from clans with bloodlines aside in private to test their family's skills. Chouji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino, and the others all had the ability. Sasuke's Sharingan had yet to activate, but that was fine. Shino… the boy had refused to demonstrate his Kikai bugs to the class. Iruka had visited the clan that day to see Shino's parents, to see if there was any reason behind such behavior.

The answer had thrown him for a loop. Apparently, when the Kikai had been introduced to Shino as a baby, there had been some unexplainable accident, and they had…well, died. Whether coincidence, or some kind of allergy, whatever the cause it was unexplainable. And since then any attempt to introduce a new colony met with failure, as the bugs seemed determined to keep out of his body. The clan seemed to frown on Shino a bit, even his own father. Not with hate, but disappointment. His father Shibi had met with Iruka and explained the situation. While there was not solid enough evidence, it was believed within the clan-to a slightly irrational extent –that the problem stemmed from Shino's genetic defect. That concept had thrown Iruka for a loop, as nothing seemed wrong with the boy…until Shibi had shown a picture of Shino without his glasses, something that no one at the academy had ever seen. Shino had always insisted on keeping them on no matter what…and now, Iruka could see why.

Shino's eyes were normal, at least in their sense of function. View was normal, no special abilities. Hell, the boy had 20/20 vision. No, what was surprising where the eyeballs themselves. Instead of a normal appearance, the orbs had a completely golden look to them, with no rings or pupils, like two golden balls. Worse yet, there were blacks intersecting lines running all around the solid gold eyes, giving them the segmented look of a bug's eyes. Apparently, most within the clan saw it as a disturbing sign, and at worst some kind of karmic insult to the clan that Shino had been born with. Every glance at them brought up memories of every small prejudice to the clan over their 'disturbing' abilities. Shino almost seemed a damned accident to them. It was surprising really, a clan that prided its logic so much acting on something like karma or signs. Then again, it was a strange thing to say the least.

But, he bore no ill will to them, and while it was a genetic defect he was still 100 human. So, they logically couldn't do anything to the boy, since there was no threat or problem concerning him. But sometimes emotion gets the best of logic. Iruka had kept quiet, but frowned on the reaction to Shino's eyes…and from an entire clan. A shame really. The boy was a hard worker, and excellent with every ninja basic Iruka taught. Still…without his clan's bugs to aid him, he'd be hard pressed to prove himself in general, much less to his clan.

What was also strange was the boy's interaction with other students. Non-existent, save Hinata Hyuuga and Naruto Uzumaki, though the bare interaction Iruka saw suggested only acquaintances… and yet at times the three of them had a strange habit of seemingly spacing out, and then popping back up after a while good as new. Such an action wasn't too strange in of itself, except they did it all at the same time.

And his connection to Lee…as far as Iruka knew, Lee and Shino had never even met. And yet one day, when Shino's sleeve had been cut up a bit during a spar, Iruka could have sworn he'd seen a flash of the same tattoo that he'd seen on Lee's chest…

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Speaking of Hinata, that girl was also a puzzle. A very sweet girl, if a little shy. Brave enough to hold a good conversation yes, and with a steady voice, but the girl just seemed too reserved sometimes. Iruka found it strange, bold yet withdrawn, all in one package. Though he had to admit, the amount of times she'd caught her staring at Naruto was amusing. He knew they had a basic class friendship, though nothing beyond that. It seemed a shame Naruto wasn't giving any signals back.

And then there was her skill set. She was so…average. Like the gray baggy jacket and pants she wore, like she was trying to disappear. She wasn't terrible, or awful. She'd make a fine kunoichi really. But despite her hard work, and her skill, she never made any leaps and bounds. He'd have expected a smart girl like her to be near the top of the class…and yet she only held a bit above the middle, never changing or shifting. Any try at talking to the girl's father had ended in failure. Iruka was miffed though at how little Hiashi seemed to care for his older child's progress. Iruka had also met Hinabi once or twice while meeting with the man…and the girl was becoming an emotional copy. Iruka hoped that maybe he'd be lucky enough not to get that particular girl in his class.

It was strange though. He'd seen Hinata's Byakugan activated, and always smirked at that nice lavender tint that set it apart from the rest of her clan's eyes. But one time, he'd seen her staring at Sasuke Uchiha for a moment, and then shake her head. Iruka had blinked, and then shrugged the moment off. He thought maybe her active Byakugan was messing with his vision, because he'd sworn her eyes were a silvery-gray color, but that was ludicrous…

She also had a strange hand clasp at times. He'd seen Hyuuga branch members practice before, to more properly teach about the history and basics of the style in classes. He'd later seen the same branch members in public and noticed any time they held a kunai, brush, or something similar, it was in a way that their hands resembled the pointed out style of their Jyuken style. How curious then, that Hinata sometimes held similar objects by the blunt end, with the point facing behind her…

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And finally there was Naruto. Iruka could look back with clear and full shame for himself considering the way their teacher-student relationship had started. Prejudice right from the outset, and with nothing to actually back it up…it was a disgrace to himself, both as a shinobi as a person. He didn't like it, though he was glad that he understood it. The scars of pain from his parent's death, which he thought were finally healed, had opened all too quickly upon just seeing the boy. He'd probably have been like that for the good first year he'd met Naruto at least…save for two things.

The first had been Lee. Naruto had joined at the start of the boy's second year, and it seemed like they had known each other a while. At the time, Iruka had the same prejudice that many did, that the demon was just acting, biding its time for whatever reason… but seeing him interact with Lee had lowered Iruka's guard, making it harder for the old wounds to stay open. It was hard to see the boy as demonic…there were limits to how far an 'act' could go, even for a demon.

The second was an incident, though it still involved Lee. The students had been practicing throwing kunai during Lee's third year and Naruto's second. Some student had misthrown a blunted kunai, and Iruka had seen the projectile heading straight for Lee's shoulder. It would have left maybe a small bruise… but apparently Naruto, upon seeing the kunai, suddenly stiffened, and threw himself, in its path, apparently forgetting it was blunted. The other students had laugh, while Lee helped Naruto up as they had laughed it off.

Iruka… had just watched in shock. They'd been told the weapons were blunted, non-lethal, and yet the dem-…Naruto had thrown himself in front of the thing, so concerned for his friend it overrode the part of his brain that knew the weapon was harmless. A demon…a demon wouldn't have done that. Hell, Naruto didn't even seem to have a clue about why people treated him the way they did. A demon like the great Kyuubi couldn't be that tolerant… could it? Nah.

Iruka had gone home early that day, and had taken a long, hard look at himself and his actions to Naruto Uzumaki. In the end, he could only reach one conclusion: he'd been a stupid jackass; no better way to put it. From that day he worked to better himself in his actions to Naruto, despite the slight rift it made between him and the other teachers. Especially Mizuki. Iruka still couldn't see why the guy seemed distant sometimes…

It had been a shame to watch the boys get separated when Gai took Lee on. The boy didn't seem to get along well with the other students. He was likeable enough, but their parent's hatred had in a sense passed down from parent to child, leaving him in a prejudiced isolation. True, Shino and Hinata had entered during Naruto's third year, so the boy had new friends, but he and Lee had had a longer bond. A shame that it was being strained by Lee leaving for missions and team training. Iruka only hoped that the three of them passed together. It would be horrible if they passed and Naruto failed a third time, ruining his bonds with his new friends.

Naruto had a mystery or two going for him as well. Like Lee, Shino, and Hinata, it was hard to find the boy outside of class. All four of them. They never seemed to be locatable out of the academy, and Iruka found himself believing that they had amazing stealth abilities they weren't showing in class. Though the outfit did have something to do with it. Black pants, long black boots, a black long-sleeved shirt (Iruka still was amazed Naruto never looked overheated in it)… if it wasn't for the white t-shirt under the black shirt, the white fingerless gloves, and Naruto's upbeat personality, Iruka would have thought maybe Naruto had emotional troubles.

He'd also seen Naruto looking at Sasuke once, and repeating the same motions Hinata had done. Except he'd sworn Naruto's eyes turned a bright, deep yellow for a moment. Impossible really, since the boy didn't even have a bloodline…

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Indeed, the four of them were separate mysteries, and together one big one. Iruka wasn't the smartest or strongest shinobi-he was modest enough to admit it- but knowing the basics well, committing to his work, and training hard had helped him to notice little quirks and details. He figured it was just a matter of time. Soon he'd see the big missing piece, and then crack the whole thing open.

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"Alright then. Get out of here, and I'll see you all tomorrow morning. Don't be late." Iruka watched the mad scramble to leave. As always, a smirk came to his lips as Naruto left, yapping on to Hinata at his side, who had the faintest blush on her cheeks. Shino walked beside them, hands in his pockets and silent as always. Iruka wondered what Naruto and Hinata might say if they saw Shino's real eyes…meh, the kids were good-natured. They'd probably have a moment of surprise and then get over it.

As Iruka started packing his things up, he vaguely wondered if Naruto and Hinata would ever get together. Ah, young 'love'…they'd definitely make a cute couple.

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Shouting a quick goodbye to Shino, Naruto and Hinata continued walking along, passing through a few training areas till they finally hit the woods. They kept walking, and didn't stop for maybe 10 minutes. Suddenly, Hinata snapped on her Byakugan, searching the surrounding area for anyone that might be following the pair. Satisfied, she flashed her hands through a few seals, mumbled, and seemed to relax as a genjutsu covered the area around them, an area equaling a city block every direction. Grinning, she turned to Naruto and pushed him into a tree, pinning him there. Her hands gripped the bark on either side of his face as the whisker-marked boy grinned back at her, his hands tracing softly along hers.

((A.N.: Warning: Coconut!))

"Why Hinata, I do believe this could be grounds for sexual harassment…" She rolled her eyes, leaning in.

"Oh, stop being a smartass and kiss me already." Her moist lips pressed into his, and Naruto tasted what he liked to call 'pure bliss' as his hands gently ran along the sleeves of her baggy jacket. Hers moved up, encircling his neck as if claiming a prize.

The last few years had been… interesting for them both as a couple. While they kept up an appearance of acquaintances, maybe decent friends at most in public, they took every chance they got to steal away, when not training or living out their lives. At those times, they simple walked along the woods, gripping each other's hand, hugging… all the innocent notions of a new couple. Kissing was rare, as the two didn't need to kiss to remind themselves they were hopelessly in love with the other. And yet every kiss was a wondrous moment, as if stealing a bit of Heaven from their lips.

Still, time marches on, as it did for these two. 9 became 10, 10 became eleven, and eleven became 12. And it was around reaching twelve years of age that something started making itself known.

Thanks to hard training, and a proper diet on both their parts, Naruto and Hinata were maturing very quickly… mentally and physically. To the point where they needed to start researching genjutsu to cast ones elaborate enough to be hidden from those around them, shinobi or otherwise.

As the two kissed, hands gently roaming in safer areas, those illusions fell, revealing two VERY different shinobi.

When under illusion, Naruto appeared to others as having an average build, and just hitting 4'10", a few inches under Sasuke's 5'1". The REAL Naruto, however, hit 5'5", very impressive for his age, and his build was much more defined. It was "perfect" as Hinata often called it, not bulky, but with muscle to spare, a sign of his hard work over the last two years. Plus, it was so hot when those arms stretched against his black shirt. His voice, a tenor under disguise, was in truth a smooth baritone that probably would have made many females his age or older shiver a bit. It definitely hadn't reduced his ability to sing, and he could still move Hinata to tears when he sang for her. His face, devoid of all baby fat, had a lean and older look to it that betrayed his natural age, like the rest of his body. In short, he was... well, hot.

Not that the same couldn't be said for Hinata. Her thin frame and smaller height of 4'11 was in truth a nice 5'3, just right for her to lean up slightly to catch Naruto's lips as she did now. Her build was toned nicely, and yet perfectly curved, with a firm shapely rear, nicely muscled limbs, and… well, a chest. It was apparent to those who saw her- not that any ever did see her like this, but if they could- that Hinata was what some women just called 'lucky'. Her chest was a nice higher range C-cup, and it was thanks to a strong, trained body and the great wonder of a bra that they didn't get in the way during a fight. Instead of the 'duck-butt' the genjutsu made it look like, her hair hung down to her upper back, and her voice… Naruto said if her voice was an angel's only 2 years ago, the sweet yet strong alto was a whole choir of them now.

Naruto and Hinata, before starting to look for genjutsu to cover their appearances, had never given any thought to physical attraction. They cared for each other than anything else and always wanted to. It was as simple as that, and more than enough for them. But eventually, hormones started invading the two love-birds, and they started noticing things.

Like Hinata noticing Naruto's leaner face, or how his muscled would show when stretched against his clothes, or how his deeper voice made her blush, something she'd been getting better at before.

Or Naruto, who started wondering what was wrong when he couldn't help at times but flush at Hinata's wonderful voice, watch his angel's slowly growing rump sway, or her slowly enlarging chest bounce some…

Lee, having been taken in by Gai, was given the talk early on… true, maybe 11 years old was a bit early, but Gai had insisted. And while it had been strange getting a talk on sex from a man who said youth waaaaay too much (surprisingly, Gai wasn't a virgin), and even though it had been an embarrassing time thereafter when he was near women or girls (consequently Naruto thought it was the most hilarious period in their friendship), Lee eventually go over it. And, like it had been with love, he understood the physical attraction Naruto and Hinata felt long before they did. Luckily for Lee, he had already taken into account how much the two were head-over-heels in love, and in doing so he felt it quite easy to talk, spar, and converse with Hinata… even as she matured more. His friendship with the girl, as well as being best friends with Naruto, somehow kept any physical attraction to her from arising. And as far as he knew, it was the same for Shino.

The help for the couple had come in the form of Ayame and Teuchi… again. As if destined to be there for the couple's most troubling times, they'd separately been approached by the two kids, just the same as before the couple had hooked up. The shop-owner and his daughter had kept their mouths shut about the couple, knowing the trouble that might come from the two seeing each other.

Ayame had almost made it public when Naruto, Hinata, and Lee had come in one day some weeks after they had gotten together, and told the ramen-working family the good news. She could barely contain herself, almost wringing Naruto's neck in a bear hug, babbling on about "her little brother falling in love". Naruto had almost started crying softly at the voluntary family relation she seemed to think of him. That had caused Hinata to hug him from behind, softly kissing his cheek, which sent everyone else into a fit of "Awe…".

Teuchi and Ayame really just seemed happy to watch the two kids fall deeper in love… which made the embarrassment about talking about physical attraction and having 'the talk' all the sweeter. Hinata has blushed up a whole hurricane which had sent Ayame into giggles, and after Naruto had fainted, his face as red as Hinata's. Teuchi had revived Naruto with the sounding of his belly-aching laughter.

Afterwards, they both had taken the whole thing well really. They both decided to be mature about it. They didn't love each other for who they were any less. This was…just a new part to it all, and really a kind of nice bonus.

"_Very nice…"_ Hinata thought. She moaned softly, he tongue licking along Naruto's lips, which today seemed to refuse to open, as if he was teasing her. The smile on his face seemed to say so, unless he was enjoying the kiss that much. Naruto's hand moved up, gently brushing her breasts, which in turn made her moan and seemed to make her even more determined to open his lips. Sadly, it was to no avail… even when her slender hands groped his firm ass through his black pants. "Mine."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Naruto pulled back, smiling softly at her gorgeous eyes. "You make yourself appear as the world's cutest 12 year old by the way. Only way that could look more innocent is if you gave yourself a stutter." His hand moved up, gently tracing Hinata's cheek, her eyes close in peaceful bliss. He leaned forward, nuzzling her nose with his. The lovers stood there, enjoying a moment as the world melted away.

"We should probably get back soon. Father will wonder where I am…" Her mouth grimaced, as if saying that pronoun left a bad taste. "We need to find a location soon you know. All the money we collect from those bounties can't keep the materials in storage forever…"

"I know, I know. You know I have the Heartless looking-" He paused as a ball of light appeared beside them. As it faded, a most peculiar Heartless floated there. At the bottom was what would have appeared to be a pale-brown tail. It spun and curved up, thickening as it disappeared into a blue, ragged patch of material. This was covered by a purple shirt which covered the entirety of the torso. On the left ribcage, two thick rings were hooked in, appearing to pierce right into the torso, and covering the entire chest was the seal Naruto put on the Heartless. The sleeves ended in white cuffs, and white gloves…but just the gloves. No actual arm of hand was visible, and yet the glove fingers moved and looked as if filled. And out of the neck appeared a head, a perfect circle the same color as the tail. A ragged grin ran across its face, a jagged line that didn't open, looking for the entire world as if drawn by a 7 year old. And they eyes… two yellow orbs with spiral patterns on them, but while one rested comfortably in one of its too large eye sockets, the other hung out on a chain. A faint yellow light shone from both of them.

"… I still can't imagine how you came up with this one." Hinata shook her head. "Search Ghost indeed…took you 10 tries before their eyes could do what you wanted." Naruto scowled, and then playfully bopped her nose.

"If I recall correctly, I got this right when you still couldn't make any new Nobodies beyond Dusks…" As she flushed pink, Naruto turned to the Heartless, his eyes more serious.

When he'd first created a Search Ghost, Naruto noticed immediately its weak attack power… and then noticed its ability to teleport. No seals, no scrolls… even more incredible than the Legendary Hirashin. The glowing eyes had been just a strange quirk, but between Hinata's Byakugan, their special Visions, and the glow, he'd been inspired to start experimenting with the Darkness, to see if he could fine tune their capabilities. True, there had been a lot of setbacks. No lost Hearts, but every time he had to start back at square one. Still, the end result had been most worth it.

The new Search Ghosts, while unable to see chakra, see over an extreme distance, or have 359 degree vision like a Byakugan eyes, could see through any vision impairing obstacle- dirt, steel, clothes, smoke, water, etc. That, however, was a pittance compared to their true potential.

Naruto had experimented early on with trying to replicate their ability to teleport, even though he was not exactly sure how it worked. In the process, he found the Search Ghosts could actually teleport _into_ things, temporarily displacing matter. While this left them unable to move, their eyes could still see perfectly, and once they teleported away, the object they had resided in was restored of its missing part. Naruto saw a great advantage in this, having the perfect spy, who could hide in places unlooked at by even expert shinobi, and with no chakra to sense. He and Hinata eventually found that by carving their respective seals into the ground, and sealing Darkness or Nothingness, it created an area of effect which they could teleport to, either by short-distance teleportation, or by taking the time to open a portal for long distances. In any case, each seal actually covered a large circumference- it only took maybe a dozen to cover all of Konoha. They were now constantly placing more, expanding their 'territory' within Konoha.

But in experimenting, he'd tried feeding more Darkness into a Search Ghost. Then had come the most interesting discovery- while they couldn't use that Darkness for attacking, these particular Heartless COULD use it to project images from their eyes, like a 3-d image. They could even use the Darkness to cause air-wave vibrations to replicate sound. Any memory- old or recently recorded- could be replayed. Now, they truly were the ultimate spy. He was constantly sending them out, further and further from Konoha, collecting as much intelligence as possible. No better way to find things out… including the news and activities of the group they'd started tracking recently.

Akatsuki would _definitely_ be a problem…

They also had a nice side bonus from the whole experimenting deal. After much trial and error, they'd found that by using the correct seals on each other, they had a basic form of a mental link. The Seals were infused with Darkness and Nothing, but activated by chakra. The seals allowed them, even Shino, to convert memories into electrical impulses. The seals, when activated, caused the other seals to mimic the same electrical impulse, replicating the memory. That had been their goal anyway. Unfortunately, it could only transmit audio. The seals, after receiving a signal from the sender seal, mimicked the impulses as audio. They could hear voices that weren't actually there, and up to an effective range of several miles. While they couldn't replicate picture yet, it was a method of conversation literally impossible to eavesdrop on… because to any listeners, there was literally nothing to hear.

The eyes of this current Search Ghost glowed, and before Naruto and Hinata played an image of a mountainous region.

"That's Kumo territory. The Heartless rarely even look around there since Yugito, the two-tails container, was kidnapped. Why would it-" Naruto cut off, now gaping a bit at a disturbing sight. As the vision warped suddenly to that of solid rock, the rock suddenly faded away. From within the rock, the Search Ghost had apparently witnessed two figures in black cloaks… cloaks with red clouds on them. "Akatsuki? What are they-" He cut himself off again, as the two members stooped to pick up what appeared to be a man, with a flickering cloak of chakra-one that looked like it had eight tails…

"That's… a demonic chakra cloak. Naruto-kun, he's a Jinchuriki!"

"Yeah… and we know they caught Yugito, and we heard about the Three-tailed Turtle disappearing recently… damn, this will make seven. All they need is the one-tails we've heard rumors of living in Suna… and of course any day now they'll come for me." Naruto growled as he watched them leave, and then snapped as the image faded. Another nine Search Ghosts appeared behind the first one. "Go back to where he saw the Akatsuki go, follow the same direction in a fanning out formation, and find where they're taking him. If we're lucky, they'll lead you right to their headquarters. We need to find them figure out what they're doing with the Jinchuriki. We cannot lose this opportunity." As the Heartless warped away, he sighed, sounding very tired. "Kami, I'm only 12 here. Why do I have to get involved in this crap…?" Hinata giggled, hugging Naruto from behind.

"Because you're too good a person for your OWN good… besides, you have me. You can't get that lucky without Karma biting you in the ass." Naruto chuckled, and then held his hand out. A spot of Darkness appeared, swirling bigger and bigger until what seemed a dark portal formed, taller and wider than the two unofficial shinobi. "Let me guess… the alley again?" Naruto only laughed, and gripped her hand as the two walked through the portal of Darkness. As it closed though, a figure stepped out from behind a tree. One who had watched invisible to their trained ninja senses, and even their enhanced eyes…

"You have truly grown Naruto. I must say, I am most impressed…" The figure looked up, fingers rubbing over the 5 large cards in his hand. "But I think it's about time I test you, and see if you are worthy of my blessing." The figure sighed, as if trying to shake old age from his bones.

Anyone watching the treetops from afar would have been surprised to see a white crane suddenly take off…

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_(The next day)_

"Well, I can't say I'm too surprised. You've all met my expectations, and some of you passed them. All I can say is this one final lesson: embrace your honor as shinobi, and let it guide you… heh. Now go on, get out of my classroom!" Iruka laugh as his graduating class tore out of the room. He turned to Mizuki, who sat next to him at a table now devoid of hiates. "Not bad huh? I think this was the first time in history this academy has seen a class where not even one person failed." Mizuki nodded, a thoughtful look settling into his features.

"Indeed. I was sure a few of the non-clan students would fail… and I was surprised that… _thing_ passed." Iruka bristled. While he hadn't broken the law, Mizuki was treading on dangerous water with that statement.

"Mizuki, you really need to let your eyes open-"

"I'd say the same to you Iruka…" Mizuki stood, giving his teaching partner a cold stare. "None of us can see it. How you can act so friendly and sincerely to that creature. I never sense a genjutsu, and we all know you have some common sense… so we don't have any choice but to believe the unthinkable, that you actually care for that **thing**." Deciding not to dignify that with a reply, Iruka turned and walked out, leaving Mizuki alone in the classroom. The silver-haired Chunin looked down for a moment, and then started chuckling. "Iruka… what a fool you are. Thinking that demon is as innocent as the show it puts on for us… oh, it may not be as strong as it once was, but under that fake smile it's just as bloodthirsty. He's an animal… like me." Mizuki grinned, and rubbed his neck, where a black mark now resided…

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_(Flashback two weeks ago)_

"What… what are you saying? That the mark you gave me, the formula, everything… it was a lie?"

Orochimaru sighed, wondering again if choosing this fool Mizuki was still a wise idea. True, the man had enough lack of conscience to betray Konoha, and was foolish enough to do as he asked… but the man seemed a bit too stupid. Oh well. Pawns normally were like that.

"Yes. I admit, what I gave you before was an… experimental version of the Cursed Seal. Very unstable. I imagine that once the power rush wore off, there would have been horrible side-effects. Still, that doesn't matter now. I even removed it as a sign of good faith, didn't I? Now, if you'll just hold your neck out for me, I can give you the perfected version…" Mizuki stepped back, withdrawing a kunai from his pouch and holding to towards the snake Sannin.

"Like Hell I will! Why should I trust you, when you just admitted you as good as set me up to die?!" Mizuki suddenly let the kunai drop, his whole body frozen from Orochimaru's killer intent. Even the four bodyguards behind Orochimaru seemed to shiver.

"Well, for one thing, I can kill you easily, and you know it. But more importantly, it's become necessary. I'm too busy myself, which is why I gave you the original mark in the first place, as incentive to go through with stealing the Sacred Scroll. But with the recent massive amounts of bounties being collected, and the strange events going on throughout the Fire Country, both the Daimyo and the Hokage are beefing up security. Paranoia to be sure, but a justified one. It will be even harder now for you to make the attempt. Therefore you need all the power you can get. After all, it is the same seal I have given to my bodyguards…" Before Mizuki could say anything, the snake summoner stretched his neck out, and sank his fangs in to Mizuki's neck, his poisonous power pumping in. Mizuki fell to the ground, grabbing his neck and crying out in terrible pain. "Unfortunately, it has a one in ten rate of survival, so if you die, this means I'll have to go on without that scroll… permissible, but not favorable." He turned and started walking away. As he passed Tayuya, he handed her a small pill. "The Seishingan. If he survives, he'll need every scrap of power to pull this mission of. So, if he does make it…" Tayuya nodded in understanding. The Sound Four crowded around Mizuki, watching him scream in agony as their master took his leave…

_(Flashback End)_

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"Pain before pleasure… oh yes, that power brings much pleasure. Iruka… I'll show you, show you just how much stronger I am." Still, while he was much more powerful, security around the Tower would be tight. Sarutobi would probably be inspecting the village walls, as he did at times (No one yet could figure out what had the Hokage so paranoid) but the ANBU would be a problem. He could lead them away under genjutsu, but would then be unable to steal the Sacred Scroll. Mizuki needed a pawn, someone to take it.

And he knew just the one...

"Hey Naruto, I need to talk to you in private for the moment…"

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_(Flashback close to a year ago at the start of the academy year)_

He stood alone, in a field of flowers outside of Konoha's walls. A small forest area, one that was unnoticed by the village. Not even the healers noticed it when looking for ingredients to medicine.

Shino noticed it.

He sat back, resting on a bare patch of grass in the middle of the flowers. His hand drew along them, letting the soft petals caress his skin. A large, orange butterfly, fluttered down, resting on his palm as he stopped. Shino stared at the bug, wishing he could speak to it.

The ability to converse with bugs wasn't something the Aburame clan was born with after all. It took a lot of study and practice to speak with bugs in general, but especially them. Shino's clan had many hours for its children that were dedicated to studying. The main factor though was having the Kikai inside of you. Constantly talking to them was the main part of learning to talk to insects, like a clumsily-talking foreigner chatting to a local till he finally parsed the language apart and got it right.

Shino of course had no such opportunity for Kikai in him, and therefore no time had ever been spared for him, since the clan's teachers found it illogical to teach something he wouldn't 'never need'. Even his own attempts to learn on his own were fruitless. Despite being quite intelligent, logical, and analyzing, it seemed insect communication was something that had to be taught before learned.

So here he was. A clan student who had at best the future potential of a non-clan child. Who would never learn the secret techniques of the Aburame. Who blended in so perfectly with everyone but those who were clan-related that he might as well not even exist. Who in his first few weeks had destroyed all chances at real friends with his emotionless facade.

Was this it? Doomed to a life of normality and light shunning? Where no one would ever see-or want to see- his eyes? Separated from his own clan even?

"I… am a homo sapien. I know this. Genetically I am no different than my parents, my uncles, from anyone in this village… so why do I feel so dissimilar? So singular? So… inhuman?" Shino raised a hand and gently removed his glasses, his insectoid eyes staring at the creature on him hand. Even without pupils or any normal human eye appearance, even when they appeared so bug like, segmented and being of one solid color, it was easy to see the lonely pain in them. "Do you know? I know I am unable to understand you, or communicate with you, but what… what am I?"

…

"Oh man…those eyes are so cool!" The butterfly flew from his hand as Shino jerked up, hands flying to put his dark glasses back. His head swiveled as he tore out a kunai, but the clearing seemed devoid of human life save him. Shino blushed faintly, glad for his collar. It was exceptional for someone to shock him, and no one had ever gotten him to show emotion other than the slightest surprise. Yet something in that tone of voice just now…what about it had awoken that sensation in him?

"Who is there? Reveal yourself."

"Alright, alright. Man, you have to lighten up…" The air in front of him seemed to shiver, and a mostly black blur started to clear up, revealing the darkly-clad form of Naruto Uzumaki. Shino's eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch. He was vaguely familiar with the fair-haired student, but had never made attempts to converse with him in class. More importantly, he knew that Uzumaki was all around an average student, though lacking some in genjutsu. The fact Naruto had just hid himself for however long he'd been there was impressive. If only he'd had his bugs, it wouldn't have even happened. Shino's thoughts were broken as Naruto raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "Come on. I know we don't really talk much in class, but don't act so hostile. I'm not armed after all." Shino stared a moment more, then set the kunai back in his pouch.

"What are you doing here Uzumaki? I was uninformed anyone else from the village ever visited here."

"Oh, I know a lot of nice places like this. Great for going to when ya need some peace and quiet, am I right?" Seeing Shino's unresponsiveness, Naruto sigh and scratched the back o his head. "Knew I should have thought this out before hand. No idea what to say… anyway. Shino, I've been watching you for a while in class. You're an incredible shinobi for a student. Heck, you've mastered the basics long before some of the other clan kids, and that's all without any Kikai bugs in you-" Shino's eyes widened, and before he knew what he'd done, he had crossed the short distance between them, his hands gripping Naruto's collar. They had a slight twitch in them.

"How… how do you have that information? It is known only by my clan, the Hokage, and Iruka-sensei." Shino tightened his grip a bit, aware that his hands were still twitching. For him, these ever so slight differences in his movements were the equivalent of an emotional outburst. How was Naruto doing this? Genjutsu?

"Let's just say we have a way of knowing things around here. We-"

"Again you say we. I only observe you."

"I'll get to that later. You see, we've been watching you for a while and… you interest us." Naruto's smile then faded a bit, as he looked at Shino seriously. "It hurts, doesn't it? Feeling so alone, so unwanted…" Shino let go, take slow steps back, those words ringing in his ears. Something about Naruto's voice locked the words inside, not letting them go, only making them louder. They reverberated back and forth in his mind, and with every bounce through his thoughts his anger grew, until finally Shino did something he had never done: he gave in wholly to emotion. He reared his fist back and slugged Naruto hard, his face twisted practically into a snarl, his shoulders rising and falling from every suddenly angry breath he took.

"What… what the Hell would you understand about it?! To feel like everyone around you either doesn't know you, or doesn't want you? You don't know it. How it feels to be a disgrace to your own family, to never even let anyone see your eyes, for fear they'll think you're a monster!" He reached up, ripping his glasses away, his insectoid eyes tight and burning in an actual rage. "Look at them! Who could ever look at these eyes and not cringe, or cry out, or spit at them in hate? I'm human, but these eyes… they make a monster of me! I feel the distrust, the disappointment, and from my own clan, my own father! The isolation my clan's reputation gives me, one that would only worsen if they saw these eyes. There is nothing special about these eyes Naruto, no abilities, unless you count that they'll doom me to a life of loneliness!"

Shino would have expected a lot of things of Naruto right then. That he would suddenly sneer, and reveal it was all a trick. That he hated him as much as Shino believed, and that he would tell everyone. That he'd actually attack Shino over those eyes. Shino expected a good deal of things to happen right then.

Naruto simply standing, and giving him a sad smile was not one of them.

"You're wrong. I do know that specific kind of pain… guys, come on out." Beside Naruto, two figures suddenly blurred into existence. Shino recognized them- Lee Maito, and Hinata Hyuuga. Perfect, as if one person knowing wasn't enough. Naruto stepped forward, gently laying a hand on Shino's shoulder.

"Remove your hand Naruto Uzumaki." Shino's voice was strained, angered over his own outburst, Naruto's strange ability to cause it, and the fact that now **more** people knew about his eyes. "Though you are an adequate student, I have analyzed your performance. I am superior in hand-to-hand combat, as well as having an advantage in strength… well? Remove that appendage, or I shall be required to-" Whatever Shino might have threatened to do was made mute, as he suddenly fell onto his ass, the ground seeming to disappear below him. He shook his head to clear the disorientation, before looking around. The three of them were still standing around Shino… all of them at the center of a deep, deep crater maybe 50 meters across. A crater that left the clearing mostly decimated… and that most certainly hadn't been there before. His golden eyes widened in shock… he hadn't even seen it happen. If that had been aimed at him… his thoughts were interrupted as Naruto and the others sat on the ground next to him. Naruto smiled, but Shino could sense the hesitation in that grin.

"Shino, we're going to tell you a kind of long story. We can even show proof to our story. You can either accept our offer once it's done, or walk away from this and forget it, and we forget about your eyes and everything else. Just please, listen first…" Hoping maybe this would keep them from alerting more people to his condition, Shino nodded slowly. "Great. Well, this story starts years ago, when I was being chased one night…"

(_30 Minutes later_)

As Naruto and Lee's yellow eyes faded back to normal, and the few Heartless and Nobodies surrounding them disappeared, Shino removed his glasses again, as if taking them off would suddenly make it all disappear. Not that he necessarily wanted to, but it was all so unreal, what he'd just learned… to incredible to be true. But it stayed the same: Hinata still had her Nothingness vision turned on, and Shih was still snuggling in Naruto's lap and tossing a ball up and down almost childishly. ((A.N.: Awe, ain't Heartless Itachi adorable?))

"Incredible… I'd at least partly believe that story without the proof, it's too incredible to make up, but after seeing all of that… this is all real, isn't it?"

"Yup. All of it. And Shino, we want you to be part of this little story." Shino's head snapped up in shock. Here were three kids his age, each of whom he'd just found out were already maybe low Jonin in strength, skill and power…and they wanted him? "We've been watching our class for a while, looking for any good recruits. People with a lot of potential… but more than that, people with good Hearts, people we feel we could trust, and people we feel we can be great friends with." Naruto grinned widely. "There are a few, but you seemed the best choice. Lot of potential. You're extremely intelligent and logical, meaning we'd have someone who'd be great with planning and strategy. But… more than all of that, you've felt pain and rejection from people and in a sense are a stronger person for it. We really admire that. So… what do you say?" Shino couldn't answer. In the back of his head, he'd registered almost every reason they gave, and the fact that such a group of powerful individuals wanted HIM to join, thinking he had potential to be in their group, meaning they thought he could equal them, even with all their special abilities. But the main thing that kept going through his head was the last requirement they had wanted… someone they could be friends with.

They… they wanted him as a friend?

Shino sadly realized not only did the word seem such a foreign concept to him, that he seemed so desperate for the possibility. He had never even realized how lonely he was, even in his saddened thinking. Shino looked around at them, and they could easily see the tears just beginning to form suddenly in his eyes.

"I… accept your generous offer-"

"Great!" And with that, Naruto leapt forward, tackling Shino in a tight hug. Before Shino could even respond, or think of how to respond. Lee and Hinata grinned and leapt to hug him too. The three of them laughed, gripping Shino tightly… until they felt him shake ever so slightly. They pulled back, and smiled sadly as they watched tears fall slowly and softly from his eyes.

"… My clan prides itself on not only logic, but our emotional control. I've… become very good at it, and even more so because of how detached I am from peers my own age…" Shino looked up at Naruto, his mouth set in a very small smile… they were the first to ever see him consciously smile. "Naruto… how? How are you making me… **feel** so much?" Before the blonde could answer, Hinata wrapped her arms round her love and grinned.

"Because he has a strong Heart, and a strong Heart is capable of many great things, including bringing out the best in people, and changing their lives…"

"Oh, is that the only reason you love me?" Naruto leaned back, capturing Hinata's lips as the two fell back onto the ground in a slightly passionate kiss, more loving than lusting. Lee sighed, and turned to Shino.

"They get like this. But hey, that's what happens when you're in love and the power of Youth is flowing through you…" Shino, cocked his head, and was about to ask about that youth bit, when Naruto and Hinata lost their concentration to the kiss, and the genjutsu fell. It was then that Shino recognized two things.

He'd always felt a subconscious satisfaction from being the tallest in class. At 5'3, he was a few inches over Sasuke Uchiha, a boy he most certainly hoped to never be required to work with. But seeing Naruto now, he realized thing one: Naruto was in fact 2 inches taller than him, and in addition to having much more chakra was just plain well built. He sincerely hoped whatever training these three put him through would help build him up some…he actually felt a little puny, and serious male-to-male jealousy for the first time.

Hopefully that would be rectified when he started going through puberty soon. He might even be starting now. He was thinking that because of the second thing he realized: Hinata was… _hot_. Shino turned away, and as the others noticed him looking away they broke down into uproarious laughter. He finally turned back, the pink in his cheeks about faded.

"…Lucky bastard." Naruto looked at the others, just as shocked as them by his statement. They'd NEVER heard Shino swear… and then they got yet another first from Shino, in addition to a first outburst, first tears, and first smile… a first chuckle. It wasn't laughing really, but they could tell he was chuckling at both them, and himself. Naruto grinned, and threw an arm round Shino's shoulder, hugging tightly.

"Shino, I think we're all gonna be great friends here."

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Shino sighed, shaking his head to clear the memories of that special day. It was incredible that it had been so long, and yet it seemed only yesterday had they opened him up to so much.

Truly he had improved. While his pure physical strength wasn't as impressive as Lee's, Shino had pushed himself hard to become strong, to become worthy of the new friends he now had. There was also to no doubt among them that, when it came to both strategy, and the more general shinobi skills, Shino was the best. At this point, his skill level was probably Jonin. To have reached that level in one year was nothing more than a miraculous feat. He made his worth to his friends known every time they travelled out of Konoha to collect new bounties and test their skill.

And yet… it wasn't enough. With their natural skill and special abilities, Hinata and Lee were most likely ANUB level. And Naruto? Shino had stopped trying to gauge Naruto's level long ago. The boy was probably matched with the level of Kage by now. His chakra level certainly matched that, as did his skill. His mastery over Darkness only helped prove how dangerous the boy was.

And Shino? What did he have? Nothing special. No mastery over his clan's Kikai…he didn't even have any. No special powers or abilities. Even his mind, a weapon deadlier than any of his friend's minds, would not always win in a matter of a much more powerful opponent. The more Shino thought about it, the more he knew the logical truth.

One day, they would outpace him by far, and he would be unable to keep up.

It scared Shino. While he knew his friends stayed with him because they considered him a great friend, they had also originally chosen him because they said he had potential. What would happen when they far outpaced him? Would they simply leave him behind while they took on danger without him? Would he… would he become useless to them?

Shino shook the thought away, hoping he wouldn't need to deal with it till another day. He looked up… and the smallest smile graced his lips as he witnessed his friends approach. He stood, making his way to them, hands snug within the pockets of his large gray coat. Despite their attempts to wear something with a bit more color, he liked the bland clothing. It beat the dark blue robe he wore when bounty hunting. He still didn't comprehend why they chose that color. If only they ordered those after choosing him, so he could have gotten gray instead…

"I was apprehensive you would be behind schedule. From the look upon your face, I imagine some excellent news has surfaced?" Shino's smile thinned out into a thoughtful look as Naruto proceeded to tell of his meeting with Mizuki. About a 'special trial' given to students chosen by a random lottery, about sneaking into a high security area…

"Before we address that, I must enquire to the new clothes we have been waiting for. Is the special order almost ready? And… will mine be the right color this time?"

"Yup. Should arrive in a month or two. I can't wait; it's all going to look incredible. So, what do you think of all of this?"

"Preposterous. He is going on the assumption that you will trust him as a teacher, and that you don't understand security. That scroll, from what my father has told me, contains jutsu that are in some cases forbidden, or simply too dangerous to use unless one is at least a Jonin. The ANBU would detain you on sight, if not kill you outright… either he wants to try and eliminate Konoha's 'demon', or he has a way to divert the ANBU while Sarutobi is making his rounds. If it's the latter, his plan is logically to kill you and then take the scroll for whatever purpose he has in mind. Hmm… from the layout we have of that Hokage's tower that your Search Ghosts provided, it is theoretically possible for a Genin to make it to the scroll, since the main defense is the large number of ANBU. He'll most likely divert them through Genjutsu… I wonder how he thinks he can make one strong enough to fool them…" Naruto grinned at his newest friend, glad as always for having someone who could work out a situation so completely. No stupid ideas.

"So, we rat him out right?"

"On the contrary, I believe stealing it is in our best interest."

Well, maybe some stupid ideas…

"Wait, what? Shino, you yourself said we'd get killed for attempting to take it. What's up? You go crazy, or sitting next to Kiba and his wet dog smell finally get to you?" Shino shook his head, though his nose wrinkled as if he could smell it right then.

"Thankfully no, on both counts. If you take the scroll-which we both know you can easily do- you can't be found in error because the truth is on your side. Mizuki, a teacher and official Chunin shinobi lied to you. At most, they'll reevaluate their teaching program, but you can't be faulted for taking orders from a superior. You'll get off scot free, and that turncoat Mizuki will receive his due… and all the while, there's the added bonus of us gaining access to a scroll filled with forbidden seals and jutsu. I imagine most things in there are suicidal or unethical, but there should be a good amount of jutsu to learn that aren't. All in all, if planned right this will be a win-win situation for us." Shino looked around at his friends/partners, waiting for a reply. He almost smirked at their slightly gaping expressions as the plan worked its way through their minds. Finally, Naruto grinned widely, giving him thumbs up.

"Figures. Only Shino is smart enough to find a good reason to steal a scroll of forbidden techniques, a way to get away with it, AND for me to come out looking like a good guy. All right then, I'll do it. Sounds like an awesome plan."

"I agree. It speaks with the wisdom of Youth and your intellect Shino!"

"I like the plan as well."

"As do I…" The four members of Shadow turned. For that last voice, old and regal as it was, hadn't belonged to any of them. It belonged to an old man, who stepped out slowly from behind a tree, a very slight limp in his left leg, and five large, red cards in his hand, covered in unfamiliar symbols. ((A.N.: Description is way too long. See pic in my Bio, search on YouTube for voice.))

Shih, who had darted out in front of them protectively when the voice first was heard, now rushed at the old man and leapt, claws reared back to slash. However, the five cards in his had suddenly gone rigid and flew from his hand. They positioned themselves in front of their user, and as Shih came down his claws reflected off of them, not even leaving a scratch. Every attack he made was blocked like it was nothing, every angle intercepted.

"I'd advise stopping that, little Shadow… unless you want me to tell them who you used to be…" Frightened at the certainty in the old man's voice- he knew, oh Kami he KNEW! - Shih made a quick retreat, taking shelter behind Naruto's legs, looking out nervously at the intruder. "That's better. I hope you four don't mind me interrupting, but I wanted to get a chance to meet you all." Taking hold of his cards again, the old man approached them, and shook hands with them one by one. Hinata, Lee, and Shino were too stunned to even feel it. This geezer hand snuck up on them by surprise, and warded off an assault by Shih, whose power and skill were probably low to mid Chunin. Coupled with those unknown cards and his apparent mastery of stealth… they had no clue what he was capable of. They snapped out of it as they realized the old man had reached the groups only blonde.

"Naruto Uzumaki… a pleasure, I must tell you. I've wanted to meet you face to face for a long time. Years really, when I first started looking into you… but look at me, jabbering away like a man my age. My name is Zuo Ci ((Chi)), and it's an honor to make your acquaintance." Naruto stared, vaguely aware that the old man was shaking his hand.

"Yeah… that's nice and all... but how did you sneak up on us?" Naruto stepped back, hand reaching for his kunai pouch. Noting that, Zuo Ci started to chuckle.

"Nervous are we? I'm not surprised. And yet even with your skill, and those special eyes, you'd never see me coming."

"That's another thing. You mentioned Heartless and Darkness already… how do you know about them?"

"My boy, I know more about you four than you know yourselves. But that matters not. I'll explain everything when we reach the place I've prepared for the trial."

"Trail? Zuo Ci, or whoever you are, just what the Hell are you-" Naruto's tirade was cut off as the old man suddenly waved his cards towards them. A sparkling blue light surrounded the five of them, along with Shih. It grew brighter and brighter, seemingly blinding them from everything. As the light reached its brightest, Naruto heard Zuo Ci's voice again, speaking with a more mystic tone, somehow sounding louder and booming in the light. He heard the spoken words just before the six of them disappeared in a flash.

"It is time to test you… you and your virtuous Heart."

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The clearing was now devoid of life. The wind passed through it, rustling a few trees a bit. A few minutes later, life did pass into it; as a lone ANBU landed in a crouch, head swiveling as he looked around… nothing.

It drove him crazy. For the last couple years, he'd kept having these weird feelings about certain spot within the village's far boundaries, or areas outside of the village walls. Again and again he would arrive, unable to sense any chakra, and movement or sound, nothing… and yet every time it seemed he had missed something.

He was getting old. Or he assumed he was anyway. Old age must have been coming early, caused by stress, which produced these weird feelings. He'd be glad when his term finally ended, and Tenzo would take over as ANBU captain. With the Hokage getting more active, the weird crap all over Fire Country and out of it, and that Shadow group people whispered about… he needed a vacation.

In the mean time, he had work to return too. Kensik Hiruhan stood, and started off back to Konoha. He needed to get his worked finished soon… he had a feeling that, like every other time he had gotten these weird feelings about places, sake was required.

Hmm… maybe the feelings just meant he should go and drink sake…

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"So it's confirmed?"

"Hai Hokage-sama. Your eyes only from the Raikage himself."

"Good. Return to your post." As the ninja who had delivered the message left, Sarutobi sat down, wincing a bit. Old age truly was getting to him.

It could have been worse. Sarutobi could honestly admit he was getting on in years. But normally, the last two years would have shown a progression of his physical condition. The increased activity of Akatsuki that Jiraiya reported, the bounties being collected left and right, the increased news of rebellion and coups happening under his nose had all forced him to accept that things were not as peaceful as he would have preferred.

So, he'd spent the last 2 years starting to get more into physically acceptable combat conditioning. He wasn't young again, that much was certain, but he felt a lot better than he did years ago. He even felt less fatigue after dealing with paperwork… definitely a reason to grin in his opinion.

As Sarutobi opened the message and read, however, he sagged back into the chair, feeling for a moment like he was 20 years older. Another Jinchuriki captured by Akatsuki… between that, and the Three-tails going missing, it was clear that things would reach a boiling point soon. Naruto was in Konoha, and from what he'd heard the Sand village would be sending their container to the Chunin exams in a few months. The rumors he'd heard about that boy, Gaara… it was a dangerous combination, and also a perfect time for this terrorist group to take that last two targets at once. All nine Biju under their command. The idea was frightening. He'd forbid their entry entirely if not for the scandal, embarrassment, and tension it could bring.

He'd have to discuss this with his council, despite the fact they still didn't know enough to make a plan of action. Though probably…no, definitely only with the Shinobi half. The civilian council members didn't need to know about a terrorist group controlling super-demons. The panic it would bring if they told the populace would be disastrous. No, Jiraiya would have to give him enough information to form an effective counter plan. A plan of inaction technically, but his best one.

"I'm really getting to old for this shit…" Sarutobi sighed, and then reached under his desk, pulling out a small plastic container next to his newest edition of Icha-Icha. He lifted the lid, and sighed in content at the smell that came from within. A smell that pleased him more than his smoking, even more than porn. For the treat within was strong enough to temporarily wipe away his worries about the dark and trying days to come. And as he lifted out a long, thin object, still hot from being sealed away in the airtight container, he grinned.

"Ah… nothing beats bacon."

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"It is official then?"

"Indeed Orochimaru-sama. Danzo's information had validated our spies' reports. The Hokage has upped security, and is also getting back into a more physically battle-ready condition. The events around and out of Fire Country, which you of course know of, have made him and the Fire Daimyo paranoid. The longer we wait, the more he will be prepared for an attack, surprise or not. We should be ready to strike as soon as possible after the second exam of the Chunin selections, especially if there are enough Genin to require a preliminary round. To wait an entire month after the second exam, when security will be even tighter, will make the attack much closer to the realm of impossibility. The longer we wait, the harder this battle will be to win efficiently. We-… Orochimaru-sama?" For the Snake Sannin had arose from his seated position, making his way over to the lieutenant who had been speaking to him. The purple-clad Jonin shook nervously, remembering how he'd seen some of his predecessors die by his master's hand. Kami, he shouldn't have spoken so much, shouldn't have sounded so commanding. Crap, he was gonna die, he was gonna die, gonna-

…get light applause?

Orochimaru brought his hands up, clapping softly and slowly.

"Indeed, you are correct. Much smarter than some of those who held this position before you. I am truly impressed. Hmm… I thought Kabuto's last message was simply driven by over cautiousness, but it seems I'll have to move operations up. Still, it makes no difference in the end. My old village will burn, no matter when we light the fire. Good work." Orochimaru then grinned, stepping forward to the Jonin. "Still you talked to me as if giving orders… I hate being ordered…" And with that Kusanagi lurched from the Sannin's mouth, piercing through the other side of the man's throat. The Jonin gurgled in horror for a moment, before death released him from the agony. Orochimaru smiled as the blade slid back between his lips.

"Sarutobi, Danzo, Akatsuki… one by one my enemies will fall. I have slithered unnoticed by them, even when they believe they can see me clearly. I will only need one strike, and they will fall…" Orochimaru roared with cruel laughter, which bounced along the corridor's of his lair, shivering the spines of even his hardened Jonin.

"Still, the Sound Four will definitely meet stronger opposition than anticipated. I had best make sure they have backup…" The old Sannin then flared his killer intent lightly. Immediately the Four appeared. Sakon looked up hesitantly.

"What is your command, Lord Orochimaru-sama?" Even syllable was laced with respect and reverence, but not a little fear. One did not look a snake in the eye boldly without knowing they were untouchable… and to Orochimaru, none of them were so.

"While it will be a long trip, I need you to go fetch a few pawns of mine from different bases. Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu. You'll need them and their unique abilities as backup… now go." As the four of them left, Orochimaru sighed. Gathering those three was a good insurance policy, but it would take at least a few weeks to gather them. Still, by the time it had been done, there would only be another week or two till the Chunin Exam.

Now to deal with the Sand. The Kazekage had previously accepted Orochimaru's offer of a joint attack on Konoha, but the Sannin knew the Sand village's leader would most likely get nervous over the heightened security. The nervousness could lead eventually to a decision to break the alliance… a low chance of that happening, but something Orochimaru couldn't leave to chance. The Sand's forces, as well as their Demon container, were too precious a resource. He needed them… he knew what to do. It would require some acting on his part, but Orochimaru had enough experience in deception. And to see the look on his old sensei's face… he smirked as he went off to write a letter to the Kazekage, requesting an 'emergency' meeting…

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"It's going to start soon brother." Shinigami looked up, giving a nod to Kami's statement before looking back to the chess board. His black king floated forward, landing in front of a white knight, the two pieces directly facing each other.

"Indeed. Zuo Ci is finally making his move. Our entertainment is about to begin… I wonder if this game will end before our entertainment ends."

"Who knows? But it's been going for about… 254,353,453,664 millennia, I'm sure it can't last that much longer…"

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As the flash ended, Naruto started blinking rapidly, trying to clear his vision so he could figure out what the Hell the old man had done. Naruto had expected some kind of attack… he hadn't expected to be in a whole new place.

This certainly wasn't the clearing that Shadow had been meeting in. Instead his vision perceived an enclosed chamber, a smooth stone ceiling overhead. It was no quick or messy job, looking brand new and very finely constructed. The torches hung all around, shedding light on the large chamber. It had to have been the size of Konoha's Chunin Exam stadium. And in the middle of all that was Naruto, standing within a stone circle, as if it was a battle arena…

"Impressive, isn't it?" Naruto turn his sharply, and saw Zuo Ci standing in front of his friends, all of whom had that same light fading from them. "I would not advise trying to leave; we are very far from where I took you all from…" A blur of motion made their heads turn, and they all watched Lee fall back onto his ass. He had tried to rush towards the old man, only to hit some kind of barrier. It flashed blue where he hit, and then faded, unseen but still there. Followed by Hinata and Shino, he ran around the perimeter of the underground chamber, but no matter where the three of the tried, the barrier kept them from getting to the old man or Naruto. Naruto himself walked towards Zuo Ci, a hand held out.

A small ball of Darkness quickly formed in his hand. Having experimented with his special power over the last two years, Naruto had found that he unlike Hinata's favor to using her power in a more refined manner, he preferred to use Darkness to directly overpower a target… usually resulting in a large explosion. The ball shot from his hand… only to explode from contact with a **second** barrier, separating the stone circle from Zuo Ci's area. His friends, along with Shih, stood outside the chamber and looked in. "Forgive me, but this test is for you alone. If you're friends promise to behave, they can join me for a closer seating.

Naruto looked to his friends and love, who nodded hesitantly. There was another flash, and suddenly they, along with Shih, stood behind Zuo Ci, shaking disorientation from their eyes.

"How… you're not even using any hand signs, and I can't sense any chakra. Do you… have any power like we do?" Zuo Ci smiled, before starting to walk slowly around the circle Naruto was in. His fingers ran gently over the strange card-weapons in his hand.

"Long ago, I was a practitioner of Daoism, or Taoism, which is an old philosophy dedicated to finding the Way. The Way cannot be expressed, but it can be known and it principals can be followed. The Way is like water: clear, colorless, unremarkable. And yet all beings depend on it for life. It flows smoothly, yet roughly. No obstacle can prevent its course. It moves around any blocking object, and even the hardest stone cannot stand in its way forever. To practice the Tao is to know its Three Jewels: compassion, moderation, and humility… oh, and forgive my lecture. I simply thought it might be good for you to have a little back story here."

"In my world-"

"Wait, your world?" Naruto chuckled, giving the old man an unbelieving stare. 'I think you might be going senile there-"

"I will prove everything soon enough, my little Heartless master. Just be patient. Now, where was I…oh, yes. During my studies, I went up to the top of a mountain know as Emei, a holy Daoist sanctuary. I studied and prayed there for thirty years, until one day I heard my name called out from the wall of my cell. I thought I might have gone mad; the very rock was calling to me. It called my name the next day as well and again and again for many days. Then one day the rock exploded outward with a roar like thunder, and as the dust settled I saw a sacred book in three volumes called 'The Book of Concealing Method'. The first volume was named 'Concealing Heaven', the second was the 'Concealing Earth', and the third was named 'Concealing Human'. From the first volume I learned to ascend to the clouds astride the wind. I found the secrets of how to sail up into the great void itself, to travel space and witness the very stars in their wonder. From the second volume I discerned how to pass through mountains and penetrate rocks. From the third, I found how to float light as vapor over the seas, to become invisible at will or change my shape, to fling swords and project daggers so as to decapitate a man from a distance. In my time since then I have learned many other things, and my power only grew." The old mystic paused there, and gestured with his cards. A torrent of flame suddenly burst from the torches, rushing overhead. Zuo Ci stuck his hand into the flames, and yet removed it without even a singed hair. His head cocked to the side, and suddenly a torrent of water appeared out of nowhere, gushing forth against the flames. He waved his cards again, and the water, fire, and steam that had all formed disappeared. Naruto's eyes were wide, and stayed so even as he turned to Hinata, her Byakugan active and her eyes glowing silver with Nothingness. She turned to Naruto, not a little fear etched in her features.

"It… wasn't a Genjutsu. Nor any kind of illusion I can identify. The flames… the heat from them was real. Naruto-kun, I think he's really capable of what he claims here." The old sage nodded, and then his hand opened. The cards soared from his hand, carving gouges in the solid rock. Lightning suddenly flashed from the symbols, tearing more cracks in the wall. They flew back neatly into his hand, as the other occupants in the room looked on in awe. The rocky debris suddenly vanished, and the walls seemed to rebuild themselves as if someone was filling in the cracks with rock. Soon the room was whole again, with not even a crack to show what had just transpired.

"At the time, my country was torn in three by a horrible war. The land was divided into three kingdoms: Wu, a large country with a great Navy. It was controlled by Sun Quan of the Sun family, who sought to rule the whole country in the name of his family. Wei, another large province that also included the country's capital. Its ruler, Tsao Tsao, acted as a general and a honorary Prince of the Emperor, though in truth he was a calculating, sometimes cruel individual. He wanted to do away with the Emperor, not so replace him, but because he thought the country could survive without one. He wanted to remake the land itself… and yet he was absolute in holding not his power, and taking it away from his two rivals. And lastly was Liu Bei, the ruler of the large province of Shu. The Liu family had included the Emperors of the Han Dynasty, which had lasted centuries before my time. Though not a direct heir to the throne, he wished to restore control of the country to the Han, under whom there had been much prosperity."

"I sought once to convince Tsao Tsao to give up his quest, to retire and take up Daoism. But he was unwilling, even after I displayed the wonders I was capable of. And so war continued for decades. I watched, hoping for Liu Bei's victory. He… was one man in a million. Not for his strength, or his intelligence, or his tenacity… but for his virtue. Many times in his earlier years, he was nearly killed or defeated many times because of both his refusal to take advantage of family, and his love for the people, though in the end he had to even fight against family to gain a foothold and further his quest. His honest and virtuous nature drew many great warriors and strategists, until he stood poised to retake the country, and bring peace to the people once more…" At this Zuo Ci closed his eyes and sighed, as if remembering the man.

"So… what happened to him?"

"… One of his two sworn brothers, a warrior named Guan Yu, was so skilled that men called him the God of War. But he was betrayed during an attack by a temporary alliance of Wu and Wei. He was captured, and killed when he refused to betray his lord. Liu Bei was so stricken with grief and anger that he for the first time, he put himself before the people. He felt his revenge was more important than his dreams of reuniting the land. He ignored the words of his advisors, and led a rash attack on Wu. While initially successful, it was a disaster. While the loss of men was not that great, he was afterwards torn with guilt over his actions, which were in contrast to the values he'd led for his life and military career. He was already ill, and sixty-three at the time. It was too much, and he passed away."

"After that, things took their course. His heir, Liu Shan, held none of the great values that his father had, and as time passed the best warriors and advisors died, and he gave way to lavish pleasure and inaction. Shu was soon conquered by Wei, who in turn gave way to a new usurping Dynasty called Jin, who in turn conquered Wu. There was peace once more…but the land still did not have the great ruler required to bring them true peace and happiness." Naruto nodded slowly, having taken everything in. He had to believe it all… as crazy as it sounded. Zuo CI had shown his power already, proving at least some validity. But something seemed off…

"Well… you have all this power. Even without the amount you have now, you could have solved everything back then, couldn't you?" At that, Zuo Ci started to chuckle, as if laughing at a joke only he could understand.

"This power… it comes at a price. Something I first read when opened the volumes. To take this power, it gives me extraordinary abilities, as well as prolongs my life indefinitely… but it stated that when one willingly took the power, they were forbidden from directly affecting the events of a world. Yes, I could talk to men, try and frighten them into changing their ways… but to kill influential leaders or wipe out whole armies, while in my power, was forbidden. I wasn't sure how that worked… but the power was real, so I took no chance in testing that out. The point is I failed. And so, I left my country and traveled far and wide. I returned many times to my country, over the course of 2,000 years-"

"2000?" Shino pushed his glasses up, and had one been able to see his face, they would have seen his eyes raised slightly in a disbelieving fashion. "Sir, you give the impression of being about 70. A human body cannot possibly sustain itself for that long…"

"After my demonstration, you still doubt? This power has greatly sustained me. My life has been a long one. In any case, after those two millennia, I came to a realization, that if there was one worthy of Liu Bei's legacy they no longer existed on my world. That it would be on another world that I would find one like Liu Bei, who could bring pace to many peoples in the same virtuous way Liu Bei almost did. I left my world, and journeyed in search of others… Naruto, you must understand. I have been to hundreds of worlds, and after thousands of years, I have never found a person like him. Not to the same degree. And while I have forever to look… I am tired of looking. Living that long wearies the soul Naruto Uzumaki. Though I am not dead, I am not fully alive anymore, a living corpse only able to watch time go by. Some men stop looking for love after years of searching when they grow tired of failure… I have spent hundreds of long lifetimes looking for a special kind of person. That virtuous hero…"

"Well, what exactly are you looking for? I'm not stupid here. You talk about all this stuff, after taking me to an underground chamber… what, you think I'm the one you're looking for? I'm not that special, at least compared to this Liu Bei guy. I don't even get what the Hell you mean by 'inherit his legacy'." Zuo Ci just smiled and waved his cards.

"You will, should you pass my test. But it is time to start." "Across from Naruto in the circle another flash of light appeared. This time however, it was not one of them being moved within the room, but the appearance of another. As the light faded, everyone within the room save Zuo Ci gasped, and Naruto stepped back… not in fear, but in awe.

The figure that stood before them seemed something out of the erethreal. He was a tall man, his figure strong but not bulky, something out of a warrior's dream of perfection. His whole body was incased in solid silver armor, with deep blue thigh guards hanging to the side like large scales. Even his hands were covered in the armor, with black leather covering his palms, thighs, and underarms. A large sheet of blue-green armor wrapped around his torso, held in place by a blue sash and a brown belt over that. Here and there, his armor was covered in strange symbols like those on Zuo Ci's cards, or designs of dragons. A long light blue sash encased his neck and hung behind him. His handsome face was topped by a silver headband, circling back around into his jet-black hair, long enough that a wrapped ponytail hung behind him to his middle back.

But while they all stared in awe at the strange warrior's appearance, Naruto's eyes drifted towards the spear gripped tightly in the right hand. Naruto thought of his own spear; compared to this… this masterpiece, his was a toy, a junk scrap. A pointed end, gold and silver, gave way to a thick brown shaft, a foot longer than his own spear. At the head was a thick wad of hanging material, most like to absorb blood so the handle didn't lose grip Naruto assumed it had once been blue, for a few blue strands were scattered here and there- the rest was a deep blood red. And at the top of that was the blade of the spear, almost a foot of silver and blue steel. Naruto could remember those he had scared or disarmed in combat staring at his spear in awe. That was how he felt. This weapon, it didn't slay men, or even armies… it was made to slay Gods.

The new warrior suddenly started to twirl the weapon around him, slashing and whipping at the air as if the weapon was a mere extension of his body. He finally stopped, holding the spear out towards Naruto in an offensive fashion, left arm held out straight to the side.

"My name is Zhao Zilong. You may call me Zhao Yun." Zhao Yun turned his head looking towards Zuo Ci. "He is the one?" ((A.N.: Awesome picture in profile, search YouTube for his Dynasty Warrior 6 voice and appearance. Watch him in action!))

"Indeed." Zuo Ci turned to Naruto's companions, all of whom continued to gape at this awe-inspiring figure. "Zhao Yun was an extremely famous general under Liu Bei. While Guan Yu was the 'God of War', Zhao Yun was the 'Dragon of Changshan'. An honorable man who was a match for any warrior. Despite his skill and strength, he sought only to find a noble lord to serve, one who could save the people. He proved himself many times. He once rode through an entire enemy army, only to save his lord's child and carry him out safely."

"Liu Shan?"

"Indeed. And on that journey he slew not only numerable soldiers, but some 50 odd generals, all of great renown. Not the best, but more than a match for any man, and Zhao Yun defeated them all. Even in old age, when he reached 70, his skill and strength was such that he defeated four generals one after another. At his age, it was an unheard of marvel. When he died, it was said that Shu had lost its great beam. When he died, I took his spirit with me, in order to aid me in my search." Naruto stared at the man in awe. This Zhao Yun guy…it was like he was one of those incredible perfect warriors people talked about in stories.

"I have watched you for a long time, alongside Master Zuo Ci. You are quite skilled with a spear, and you have a good heart. You are powerful, even for this world. Few could match you. But it is time to see if you are of the same stock as my master… now, raise your spear!"

"Wait, what?" Naruto turned to the others, as if it was a bad joke, but Zuo Ci only smiled.

"This will be one on one spear combat. No jutsu, no special powers. A fight to the finish. Being only a spirit, Zhao Yun will of course give up if a killing blow is made. If he kills you… well, it only means I have misjudged you, as I did to others."

"Wait, I don't want kill him! I mean, I guess I can't, but-" Naruto stammered, trying to explain his unease with actually killing someone, or making such a blow. However, Zhao Yun rushed forward, gripping his spear in both hands as he slashed down. Naruto's hands flew up, his own spear gripped tightly as it blocked. He stepped back, already twirling the weapon to block Yun's next strike.

Their weapons blurred, Naruto's slight hesitancy keeping him on defense with only a few offensive moves of his own. In the back of his mind, Naruto was assessing the battle as he fought. His own physical strength was a little greater, even without his chakra or Darkness, and the time his body had endured the Demon Fox had given him incredible stamina… but Zhao Yun had a literal lifetime of experience over Naruto, and it showed. While Naruto's spear work was incredibly smooth and skilled, Zhao Yun moved like an angel in combat, his skills seemingly beyond this world. Naruto only grimaced and kept it up. He slashed at his opponent's legs, but Yun flipped over the attack, using his weapon as a vault. As he landed, the spear was pulled out and twisted into a wide killing arc, missing Naruto's head as it ducked at the last second. They continued to fight, slashing and thrusting in a dance of wood and steel, their weapons blurs.

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Outside of the combat arena, the remaining occupants of the chamber watched. Shih was the only one not rooted to the spot, still continuously attacking the barrier at different points, searching for an opening. Lee watched the combat, amazed by both fighters. Shino looked on, inwardly calculating who would win this. Hinata just worried. Worried for her love making out of this alive, and how he would cope with having to kill someone, even thought it wouldn't necessarily be a kill. She turned to the old sage, worry etched in her features as she asked, "Is this… truly necessary? To pit them against each other?"

"Indeed. They must… it is a good fight, is it not?" Shino nodded hesitantly.

"That is an accurate estimation. Their skill levels are both high, and while Zhao Yun's is somewhat higher, Naruto has inhuman stamina, and great physical strength. Either Naruto will be outmaneuvered, or he will outlast…assuming that this spirit gets tired."

"Oh he can. I want this to be realistic, so my 'Dragon' has limits… but now it's time to see…"

"See what?" The old sage ignored Lee and only raised his cards, which glowed ever so slightly…

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Naruto flipped back, only to block yet another fluid strike from his opponent. He drove his spear into the ground and leapt over another slash. He used his momentum to swing around as he gripped his dug in spear, his booted feet catching Zhao Yun in the face. Naruto leapt back, bringing his spear in front of him, preparing for the next assault. Never had he been pushed like this, not by Shino, Lee, Hinata-chan, Shih, anyone.

"Tell me Naruto Uzumaki. You defeat me, you return to Konoha. And then what? We know what you have planned. Do you believe it will work?"

"Nothing is certain. I only know we're going to give it our all, and the result will come from our effort, be it success or failure."

"And have you really thought about the cost of your failure?" Naruto paused there, those words touching something deep inside his mind. "The people that could die if you fail… you are ok with their lives spent for your dream?"

"N-no, that's not it at all. You're twisting it around…" Naruto gripped his spear tightly as Zhao Yun suddenly sprung forward again. Once again Naruto kept up the fight, but now his spear seemed slightly awkward in his hands, his limbs feeling a bit heavy…

"Am I? People die in the kinds of plans like what you are going to enact. You know this, and yet you go ahead with it. What will happen if others try to stop you…if Konoha tries to stop you? Can you fight them? Can you take on Sarutobi, a man who cares about you, and kill him if necessary?"

"That… that's not going to happen!" Naruto brought his weapon up to block, but this time Zhao Yun's spear made his own vibrate some, and Naruto struggled to black the next strike.

"But it can, and you know this. And what will people do when they discover your special powers? Will they think you a monster? Will they think the same of Lee, or your love?"

"Shut up!"

"You're getting angry… that Darkness of yours works with your heart, which can be prone to emotion, including anger. Will you hurt those close to you, if it ever gets to strong?"

Naruto only blocked the next strike. But while he was wordless, his mind kept flashing through every horrid possibility Yun's words had brought up. His spear felt so heavy, his slashes and blocks clumsy…

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"What did you do?" Lee turned to the old sage, his eyes glowing yellow, his calling onto the Darkness within him unconscious. "You lifted those cards, and suddenly he is not fighting with the same Youth that he has. Tell us what you've done to him!" When Zuo Ci only stayed silent, watching the battle within the circle, Lee rushed forward, aiming a strong kick at the old man… but as it was about to pass through his chest, it seemingly broke apart into millions of particles, like scattered dust… all of which reformed instantly after Lee's foot went through. Lee launched a slew of punches and kicks, but the result was the same every time.

"If you must know, I suppose I just started the actual test. Within that circle, his skill and strength are being affected by himself."

"What? That makes no sense?" Zuo Ci only sighed and looked back to the fight.

"If Naruto emerges the victor, all will be made clear.

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"What will you do? Will you sacrifice your friends and love for people, or sacrifice people for them?"

"Stop it!" Naruto clumsily stepped back. It was like before he met Lee; his whole body felt weak and clumsy when it came to fighting. He couldn't help it. Every scenario Zhao Yun brought up… more and more he found himself thinking of every horror his plans could bring. The possible death, the suffering… was he really so noble in what he was planning? Any better than any common dictator or tyrant?

Zhao Yun's spear rose up, and Naruto's weapon was broken from his grasp. It spun back, finally landing several yards away with a loud echo that reverberated across the chamber. Naruto's companions gasped, but he didn't hear it. He only saw Zhao Yun hold his spear out, slowly walking towards him.

"It seems you aren't the one we sought… a pity. Liu Bei was an exceptional man. It appears one worthy of his legacy of virtue may never appear…"

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Naruto barely heard him. He only could think of his actions… he'd thought his plans would do people good, that he could start something new and great… how foolish he'd been. He'd led his friends, his love, and all those Hearts and Souls along on a fool's selfish journey.

Shih, who had been the first to offer his service, to stand by Naruto.

Lee, who had given Naruto his friendship, something worth so much.

Shino, whom Naruto had recruited by using his similar pain caused by loneliness and irrational hate.

Hinata…

His angel. She gave him her love, truly and unconditionally. And who was Naruto Uzumaki? He was someone who had such seemingly noble dreams, but still would put other's lives on the line or to an end for them. How could he ever think to assume he was like someone like Liu Bei, who had been such a selfless hero? Who had never sacrificed people?

…

…

…Wait. Hadn't he? People still died in battles. They'd fought for him, because he gave them hope. Gave them a choice to fight for a better future. They hadn't been stupid. They must have known they could die. And Liu Bei… he must have know that people would die while fighting for him. If he was really the type of person Zuo Ci had described him as, being so virtuous, he would have cared about all of them… and yet…

He did it anyway. Liu Bei accepted this, but fought anyway, risked himself and them…because they all wanted that peace, and were willing to fight for it. He even led men against his own family… he must have felt so guilty, so conflicted. Must have thought the same thoughts Naruto was thinking.

But he went through every trial, every challenge. And it had put him in a position to selflessly better the lives of so many people.

Could he do the same as this great man?

…Yes. He had to. Had to fight, kill, battle, and even make war if necessary. Because there were people putting their faith and hopes into him, knowing the risks. And if plans went as hoped, many more would. He would have to deal with it… suffer as Liu Bei did, for the good and betterment of others.

This… this feeling… maybe this was what Zuo Ci meant by virtue. To selflessly work for others, to do right whether big or small, to make sacrifices despite how one felt as long as it was for others…

He wasn't sure. Naruto was only sure of one thing right then.

He couldn't die. He'd allowed too much to rest on his actions, and he couldn't stop that now…

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"Naruto, rise up!"

"Naruto, please get up!"

"NARUTO-KUN!"

The three of the, the ever silent Shih, and Zuo Ci watched as Zhao Yun raised his spear, and brought it down upon Naruto…

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"My my brother, this is entertaining. You were right about this world, it's quite fun to watch."

"Indeed Shinigami. This Naruto is very fun to watch…"

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Naruto's hand suddenly shot up, catching the spear just under the silver-blue blade. The onlooker's outside the barrier gasped.

And on both Zhao Yun and Zuo Ci, the tiniest smile upturned the corners of their lips.

Naruto pushed the weapon up, and flipped back to his feet. His quickly ran backwards, stooping to retrieve his weapon. He brought it back up, the awkwardness and weakness gone. If anything, he'd never felt so sure of the spear in his hand. He sprinted towards the 'Dragon of Changshan', this time attacking instead of defending. And while Zhao Yun was as skilled as before, it was suddenly as if Naruto was faster, stronger, and despite his superior skill Zhao Yun began to back up, having to work harder and harder with each passing second to parry Naruto's thrusts and swipes.

He brought up his spear to block, but the blow was a feint. Naruto's foot lashed out, kicking his leg out. As Zhao Yun attempted to right himself and balance out, Naruto slashed, and knocked his opponent's spear away, just as it had been done to him before. Naruto's spear came down, poised at Zhao Yun's neck.

"…I win-"

"Not yet. You must finish me off."

"What? Look, it isn't necessary-"

"Of course it is." Naruto paused. Something about that voice… despite his young appearance, something in his voice and eyes betrayed the true age of this man. This warrior, who'd seen a lifetime of war Naruto couldn't begin to fathom. 'It has nothing to do with me, you just don't want to kill. I never enjoyed taking life either. But I knew that in a land torn by war, it was unfortunately necessary. Was it right? I do not know… but I truly believed that to defeat the enemies of my old Lord Liu Bei could bring peace to the land. You will have to kill as well, for not every enemy will truly surrender. Some out of fear, some from anger… and some because they will be like you, believing in their causes and ideals with all of their mind and body. You must be willing to take their life, because otherwise those you care for will remain at risk… now, do it. Strike me down!"

Naruto's knuckles whitened from the grip on the shaft of his spear, those words swirling through his mind as he processed such an awful truth… and finally, acceptingly, his spear came down, the blade aimed at Zhao Yun's chest…

And it passed through. No blur, no dust-like trick like with Zuo Ci. As if he wasn't there. Naruto slowly backed up, his eye twitching.

"He… really is a ghost… but I kicked him before…" Zhao Yun stood and held his hand out, his spear suddenly reappearing. "Again? But, I won, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did Naruto…" As they all turned to Zuo Ci, he waved his cards and the barrier appeared, shining blue before it suddenly fell away. They all rushed from the old man's side to arrive at Naruto's. Shih leapt to latch onto his neck from behind, and Lee and Shino gripped his shoulders as if to confirm it was real, that he was ok. And Hinata just kissed him, so happy he was alive, that she wouldn't have to consider yet the possibility of life without her love…

"Very good Naruto," Zuo Ci smiled, looking for all the world as if he'd been the one to win that fight. "I imagine you're wondering what happened in there. That circle was special you see. Once it powered up, your strength and skill were tied into… well, your state of mind would be the easiest way to describe it. Everything Zhao Yun said was planned beforehand, scripted after years of consideration. I needed to know. Needed to see if you could sacrifice not just yourself, but at times your principals. If you were willing to do things at times that were against your Heart's will, because you care for others more. And I am pleased to say you passed."

"Well… how do you know that it'll be the same down the road? That my virtue- which I guess I possess since I passed this whole test- will remain a major factor in deciding how I do everything. I mean… what, can you see into the future too?"

"Oh no. If I could, this whole test would be unnecessary… I mean, I still don't even know if you're actually worthy." Naruto stared wide-eyed at the old sage, and his companions did the same, those eyes all seemingly asking _"Are you serious?"_

"Naruto, I have always looked for people worthy of Liu Bei's special legacy of virtue. But use your common sense. Do you really believe that in over five thousand years I never found anyone before you worthy of this test? There have been others. Not many admittedly, but they were tested the same as you. Most failed, unwilling to sacrifice principals for others, or without the ambition despite being able to. The few that passed… I still could not choose them. They were people that had not too long to live, or in the world they lived on did not have the power required. I needed someone young, who had the strength to carry those dreams out, the power to make better things for his people a reality." Zuo Ci smiled, placing a wrinkled hand on Naruto's shoulder, gripping with surprising force. "Naruto, you are that person. The virtue lies in you, and you have that power. And you also have innocence to you that not even people your age possess, and the determination to keep a promise and never strive away from your dreams. Great qualities in a leader who follows virtue. Still, you may change in time. That Darkness is strong because you have a strong Heart, but I've seen others with Hearts as strong as you who became corrupted, not by power but their own emotions when they overtook common sense, logic, and judgment. Even after all of this, you may still not be the one… however, I am tired of searching. I am human you know, and we all feel the strain of a long search that continuously fails. But after 5,000 years, you seem like the greatest hope for that virtuous dream, and so I leave you… his legacy." Naruto gulped, made a bit nervous by that whole speech. Still, he was excepting something incredible here, and was willing for it. He stood there, waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting…

"Um… is that it?" Zuo Ci just let out a hard laugh.

"Oh, my apologies. The way I kept describing legacy, it probably sounded like I was giving you some kind of power or weapon, didn't I?" Naruto nodded, resisting the urge to face plant as he realized after all that all he got was an honorable charge… incredible to be sure, but was that it? "Well, I'm not going to be giving you one…" The old sage waved his cards. Naruto's spear suddenly shot up from his hand, and then while in midair seemed to dissolve in to dust, as if time itself was quickly eroding it to nothing. Before Naruto could utter a word of protest, Zuo CI pointed past him. "He will." Naruto turned, and gasped softly as Zhao Yun held out HIS spear to Naruto.

"This is Dragon Spike. I used it long ago to clear a path for Lord Liu Bei's dream for the people… may it clear your path as it let me do for my lord. I will not deny that this path you are on is long, and will involve loss and pain. I have seen it before. But if within your Heart you still care, then your duty is to fight for the people." Naruto seemed to be frozen… before he gave the warrior a solemn nod, and grasped the spear, his fist above Zhao Yun's. Zhao Yun had to keep himself from gasping; at that moment, the feeling he got from this boy, that smile, that same position of gripping the spear, it reminded him of a moment long ago, one of many he wouldn't forget… and it seemed like he could hear his Lord's voice rising from the earth, though that world was so far away…

_Yes Zhao Yun, yes. Thank you..._

Naruto stepped back, experimentally twirling the weapon. As when he looked at it first, he felt like it was a weapon beyond this realm, a God-killer. Zhao Yun smiled widely, looking at this boy who had inherited the struggle of a long dead friend.

"I will watch you from the Heaven's Naruto. Though my soul goes to a different place than souls here do, I will always watch over you." Naruto looked to him with a wide smile, before suddenly frowning at the comment.

"Wait, what do you mean by-" But before he could finish, Zhao Yun's for suddenly start to look transparent, before finally fading away. Zuo Ci walked to where he stood, smiling.

"He came with me, willing to be pulled away from the Heavens where his friends and Lord reside. He truly cares for others, as his Lord did… he has earned his rest." He then waved his cards, and a light surrounded them all as they vanished from the chamber…

Only to reappear in the clearing. As they looked around, they suddenly realized it was dark.

"What is this?" Shino looked towards the old man in confusion. "We were there maybe a half hour at the maximum. How can it be night already?"

"Well… when I first took you away from this clearing, we didn't go immediately to the underground chamber, even though it seemed that way to you all. I have been watching you after all, and saw your exchange with that Mizuki fellow. I know it will take some time to fully absorb all of this, no matter where your Heart lies. Better to deal with this now, than to try after you've thought on all of this more and are too distracted. Besides… he'll be a fine test for your new blade." The old sage walked up to Naruto, placing a hand on his head. "I never expected to find my goal in the form of a child… I know great things will come from you Naruto, for better or worse. Stay true to your Heart, and I think you'll be alright. Oh, and just so you don't have to rush anywhere…" The old sage again waved his cards, and again they vanished…

This time reappearing within a smaller clearing in the woods. Naruto knew the area; Mizuki had told him to meet him there. It wasn't too surprising. What WAS surprising was that the Sacred scroll was already there, leaning against a tree.

"He already led the ANBU on a chase. I guess that they'll wonder how a 'Genin' managed to take it. Either way, he will arrive in ten minutes. I suggest you start recording everything that's of value, and then clear out so Naruto can handle this alone…"

"Wait. I wanted to ask you. What did Zhao Yun mean before about his soul being different? You told me he was dead, but if that was his soul… it's just that it seemed to have emotion. Nobodies don't have any…"

"I have seen Nobodies before on other worlds who can 'show emotion'. Nobodies can retain their original form if their Soul is strong enough, by using the power of Nothingness to give life back to the body. Most Souls are not that strong, and so they use Nothingness instead to transform their body into a new form, like what Miss Hyuuga can do to Souls she finds. Those are Souls too weak to even change their body, and so they wander as Hearts do, until they are no longer capable of sustaining themselves, and fade away. Hearts, while they do not fade away, follow the same laws, either able to create a body of Darkness, create one that duplicates their original form, or simply float around indefinitely. In the case of Nobodies, their emotion is an act, either to fool others or from a sad attempt to mimic the emotions they once felt. But in Zhao Yun's case, on his world when one dies their soul simply goes to the Heaven's if they were good in life. Their world didn't have Hearts, not in the sense you know."

"It doesn't matter. In any case, you have a long road ahead. I hope you find happiness at the end of it, all of you." He smiled at them, and then turned to Shih, his face more serious now. "You'll have to tell them who you are someday, and accept what has happened."

Shih shuddered, and the group looked at him for a moment, wondering what that was about…

Zuo Ci then walked away from them. He seemed to shimmer for a moment, and suddenly in his place stood a beautiful crane, getting into position to fly away. Naruto smiled and waved at the crane sage.

"I'll make sure to do my best, ok old man? I'll make sure you have a good show to watch!" The crane's head turned, and for a moment something in Zuo Ci's eyes gave Naruto pause. Even though the peak he now possessed couldn't smile, it was as if Zuo CI was giving a sad one…

But then that moment ended. Zuo Ci suddenly gave a flap of his wings and lifted from the ground, as if lighter than air. He drifted lazily upward, flapping off towards the moon. And as he did, his form suddenly took on the appearance of gas and cloud in the shape of that crane. It drifted apart, and then was blown away by a sudden wind…

"…Wow. I mean…just, wow." Naruto looked down at the spear held his hand. Dragon spike gleamed in the moonlight, shining…like the future Naruto hoped for…

"I am at loathe to break up such an incredible moment…" Shino said, stepping towards the scroll. "But we now have only nine minutes before Mizuki's arrival. We should take what we can."

"…Right. Well everyone, let's get to work, and then scatter. Shih, you stay nearby, just in case…"

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Mizuki grinned wildly as he leapt through the trees. It was incredible; this wonderful power Orochimaru had given him. The ANBU probably couldn't even sense the Genjutsu he used, since they never tried to dispel any during the chase, something they were more than capable of. Still, they had been fast. The clever ninja wire traps he'd set were the only reason he'd gotten away without using too much of this power and giving himself away. Now he just had to get to the clearing, and hope the demon brat could pull it off.

As he landed in a branch overlooking the meeting place, his grin widened more. The kid stood there, looking so pleased with himself for the theft. Mizuki dropped down, assuming the guise of the proud teacher one last time…

"Well Naruto, I admit I am surprised. I knew you had good Genin skills, but this was very impressive. The Hokage will be proud." Mizuki grinned. It was perfect. The brat hadn't even questioned the two huge Fuma shuriken on his back. "Now just hand me the scroll and I'll take it back-"

"Mizuki-sensei, do you think I'm a loyal shinobi?" Mizuki paused, nonplussed. What kind of question was that?

"Well… yes Naruto, I believe so…"

"Tell me then…" Naruto's grin suddenly dropped, and apparently a genjutsu did as well-when did the brat learn to do them well?- because suddenly a very deadly looking spear was laying on the ground. Naruto picked it up, and began spinning and twirling it like an expert. "Why would I give the scroll to a traitor?"

"Traitor? Naruto, I don't-"

"Don't think to fool me Mizuki. I knew this was all a lie. I mean, this was locked up in a special room within Hokage Tower. Do you take me for a fool? I only did this to flush you out… and to get a nice peek inside it of course." Mizuki's grin fell away, replaced by a grimace of anger. He looked around, wondering where the ANBU would probably come from. Damn the boy-

"Oh, there's no shinobi there. I set this up alone."

"So... wait, you actually plan to take me on yourself?" As the blonde nodded, Mizuki roared with laughter, to the point it threatened to bring him to his knees. "Get real! You're a Genin. AN impressive one, but I'm a Chunin. Do you really think you're skill level and power is above mine?"

"Well… if it was, I don't think I could do this little jutsu."

"**Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!**" Hundreds of pops could be heard, as that many clouds of smoke obscured Mizuki's vision. As it cleared he looked around… and gaped. The ground, trees… they were filled with the brat's clones. Hundreds of them, all with that same spear! One smirked, punched the tree it stood on, and the bark splintered. Kami, they were real! All of them! Impossible. It was a Jonin technique, forbidden, and yet he did it!

"Impossible. Unless…" Mizuki grinned, and decided to try a card he had been thinking of. This might unnerve the boy, wreck the clone's concentration, and then he'd grab the scroll and run. "This is incredible Naruto. It wouldn't be possible though, without that special secret about you-"

"Oh, you mean Kyuubi?" Naruto could only grin at Mizuki's gaping face, as another clone started speaking in order to keep the real Naruto's location hidden. "I've known for years asshole. You don't even truly understand the situation…"

"Oh, I understand perfectly about your little act. You ARE the demon, and anyone who believes otherwise is foolish and blind. So, the fox reveals his power at last. It makes no difference. The ANBU probably are informing the Hokage of this as we speak. They won't even notice the scroll missing till it's too late. By the time they find you, you'll be a corpse!" Mizuki then started to laugh as a strange symbol on his neck, which Naruto hadn't noticed before, suddenly began to glow. Black symbols spread over his skin, and Naruto stiffened a bit as he felt the power being given off… nothing on his own power, but it was so dark.

"Like my cursed seal demon fox? It's a gift from a powerful man, the Snake Sannin Orochimaru himself. With this scroll as a gift, he'll make take me to his side and give me even more power. I'll crush you. I won't even need level two for this." Mizuki suddenly leapt into the trees, and began to engage the clones head on. His enhanced power let him quickly begin to tear through them.

So focused was Mizuki on tearing into them, he didn't notice that they seemed to be holding back…

Soon the clones had all been dispersed, and only one Naruto stood standing, an eyebrow raised at Mizuki's display. With a cry of "You're mine!" he lunged, pulling a shuriken from his back and swiping it at the demon's damned smirking face… only for it to disperse as well. He landed and looked around, eyes searching for where the Hell the brat was. The scroll was still there, so where-

His thoughts were interrupted as a booted foot caught the side of his face, knocking him into the tree. As the shuriken fell from his hand, the boy suddenly appeared, and proceeded to launch a slew of punches and elbows into Mizuki's form, all with only one arm while the other held the spear. He couldn't understand it. Demon or not, the brat wasn't this strong! How did it hurt so much?!

Naruto's finally pulled his fist back, and slugged Mizuki hard enough to force him through the tree and into the ground. Naruto leapt down, scanning the dust to see if Mizuki would stand again…

"Damn you… you fucking monster… I'll kill you! I'll use the second level of this seal and crush you!" The disturbing power Naruto had felt before intensified, pushing the dust apart. What stood before him did not look human any longer. It looked like someone had taken Mizuki and fused him with a tiger. His whole body rippled with muscle, and a black-looking chakra rolled off of him. "Like it demon? This power Orochimaru gave me goes only to his best servants. He gave it to me as a sign of faith, and of the power I can gain by serving him. Now, let me take the scroll, and your death will be quick." Naruto only sighed, and lifted his sleeve, revealing a seemingly familiar marking, though Mizuki couldn't place it…

"I want to show you something really quick. First, this summoning tattoo. Some people use them so that animals summons won't require the whole range of required seals. It's how I kept my old spear and this new one hidden." The symbol glowed, and suddenly the brat's spear vanished. "The second thing is this." Naruto's hand rose, and Darkness covered it, building quickly. It… frighten Mizuki. It wasn't Chakra, but there was such power in it… what was it?

"This… this is some trick. You damn fox, what are you doing?!"

"…You will die without knowing, traitor." The power in that hand suddenly seemed to collapse in on itself for a moment, before unleashing a beam of destruction. The Darkness tore a gouge in the earth, before meeting Mizuki's body.

His hand's came up in defense as channeled all of his new power into blocking… whatever the Hell the fox was doing. But the beam of that black stuff, whatever it was, pushed him back, and he found his power draining as he tried to hold it back. His new 'fur' signed and started to smoke as he seemed to roar in pain.

"D-damn you! What is this power? What are you doing Kyuubi?!"

"… That's Naruto Uzumaki, dumbass." The beam intensified, and Mizuki screamed as the power surged forward, overtaking him. His form was completely hidden by the torrent of darkness, which curved up as to avoid leaving too large a path of destruction and gain too much attention. I spiraled into the air above the trees, the night hiding the dark beam of power. As Naruto finally let up on the attack, the beam dissipated… Mizuki's body was lying on the ground, burned horribly all over, his breath hard and strained.

"This… can't be… you can't overcome-cough- my power. Y-you monster…" Naruto's spear shot out, the blade piercing through his throat. Injured and drained as he was, Mizuki suffered only a few moments before death took him.

Naruto sighed, knowing he'd have at least one nightmare about this… his first kill. As Shih slipped out beside Naruto from wherever he'd been hiding, Naruto motioned with a hand, and a few Red Nocturnes appeared at his side. Without even having to say it, they knew what to do. A few fireballs later, Mizuki was roasting. Naruto waited till the body was ashes and then dismissed the Heartless, who had kept the flames from spreading to the trees. A small tendril of Darkness twisted from his hand, wrapping around Mizuki's heart. Soon a Shadow stood where his body had been. Naruto motioned, and it seemed to melt into the floor, this time disappearing to wherever the Heartless were when Naruto didn't summon them.

"Well, this whose curse seal thing Orochimaru has is going to be a pain. I think we need to step up the Search Ghosts looking for him, as well as Akatsuki." Naruto sighed, and then turned to grin at Shih. "I can always count on you Shih. In a way you're the first real friend I ever made. You always have my back, and I'm thankful for it…" Shih seemed to look up at Naruto and then took a few steps closer. His claws motioned up, pointing to Naruto, then his eyes… and then down at Shih's body. Naruto grimaced, thinking back to what Zuo Ci had said before. "Shih... you know I like respecting your privacy. Same with all of the Heartless. You sure about that?"

Shih nodded. Naruto sighed and sat on the ground next to Shih, his hand gently touching the little Shadow's 'body'. His eyes opened, the yellow of Darkness Vision glowing in the dark. His brow creased as the memories quickly passed, one by one. He gasped as Shih's former identity was revealed… as we his last actions and death. When Naruto finally reached the memory of their first meeting years ago, he pulled his hand back, the appendage shaking. His eyes returned to their deep blue but now were filled with worry.

"Shit… your Nobody, who's strong enough to retain his original body which apparently can fuel a hyped-up version of the Sharingan with Nothingness… Madara Uchiha, thought dead, who has a hyped-up version of that same Mangekyo Sharingan and is the secret leader of a dangerous terrorist group… they'll probably come after Sasuke for his eyes, and me for 'Kyuubi'… heh, this doesn't get easy, does it?" Naruto's attempt to liven such depressing news seemed to fail, as Shih/Itachi fell back against a tree head bent and shaking as if struggling to cry tears he could no longer produce. Naruto sighed, and hugged Shih to his chest. "It's ok Itachi… Shih… Shih I guess, you seem to like that name. Look, it's all right… I know it may not mean much, but for what it's worth, I forgive you." Shih looked up, and then clutched tighter. Naruto sighed, rubbing the little Shadow's back.

Suddenly, without thinking about it, Naruto's hand glowed with Darkness, flowing into Shih. Many times before they had tried feeding the Heartless more, but always his Heart had a natural limit that only grew slowly with time. But now, maybe from the weight lifted by Naruto's statement, Shih suddenly started sucking the black-colored power in like a sponge. Naruto scooted back, watching Shih's form seem to blur, the limbs and head being absorbed back into the chest, as the ball of darkness grew only bigger and bigger. It suddenly burst apart, the massive amount of Darkness circling around the Heart in the middle, and as it rushed back to the Heart, for a moment Naruto swore he could see a transparent image of Itachi, with his Heart at the center. He was smiling, looking so happy and at peace…

And then it came back together, the Darkness shaping into something… new. Naruto slowly stood, gasping at what stood before him.

"… Itachi? …Shih? Is that you?" The new Heartless for him nodded, and Naruto could only utter softly.

"Badass…"

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Hinata stepped out of the portal of Nothingness she'd made, Lee by her side. They'd both felt that rush of Darkness that Naruto had apparently unleashed, and figured it was all over… only to feel another one soon after. As they looked around they found Naruto, standing alone and uninjured.

"Naruto-kun what happened? Where is Mizuki? And why is Shih still hiding?"

"Well, Mizuki is now a Shadow. Guess his Heart wasn't that strong, though apparently a little gift made him stronger chakra-wise. We… have a couple new developments to discuss. Things have gotten more dangerous."

"Alright, but where is Shih? Is he ok?" Hinata grimaced, concerned for her love's little bodyguard.

"Better than ok… we'll discuss it later. It involves getting his consent on a few things. We need to look at this and come with a plan. Shino, this is going to- um…where is Shino?" The two other humans in that clearing looked to each other, and then around before looking back to the blonde.

"Er… when we split up, he took a different path than us. I assumed he decided to cover a different area, instead of lumping us all together like we planned. But he should be here by now. His Youth has always kept him no time…"

"Someday I'll figure out how that makes sense. In the meantime let's go look for him. Shino can't be far…"

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_(Five Minutes Ago)_

Shino followed behind Hinata and Lee, glad they were busy chatting. They couldn't hear his sigh.

_Once again, Naruto takes on an adversary alone. If it isn't that, it's executed as a group. Never just you. You are unable to do anything they can. Can't even utilize the bugs you're relatives is famous for… what are you doing here Shino?_

Shino shook the thoughts from his head. Naruto still wanted him around. He'd continue to serve Naruto's cause and ambition, as long as he was still useful…however short a time that would probably be…

_Do you think so little of your friends?_

Shino's head snapped up. That voice… it was in his head, like when the group used their 'silent' communication though the seals. But he'd felt no reaction from the seal, no use of his chakra… so how could there be a voice in his head? It wasn't even his own voice.

_Shino, I need you to come to me. 5 miles due Southwest._

Shino snorted softly. Whoever this was, however they were doing this, they were foolish to think he'd follow a strange voice in his head. He started to prepare a message to send to Lee and Hinata-

_For all you're worry about becoming useless to them, you are very quick to call for their aid. I will be able to hear what you say, seals or not…_

Shino froze, his body moving with barely any notice on his part. How did someone know? Had he messed up already, slipped at some moment and exposed Shadow?

_All will be revealed. Simply come to me Shino. I was sent here to aid you. You're secrets will remain so…_

Shino swore silently, and then changed direction, shunting as much chakra as he could into his legs without getting his teammates attention. He sped through the trees, figuring the sooner he figured this out, the sooner he could formulate a plan…

_Down there._

Shino dropped down to the forest floor, swiveling around to look for whoever was calling to him. There was nothing, nothing but a large blue crystal resting against a few trees.

_Approach it Shino… good. Shino, I know you fear becoming useless to your friends, a tool for them to cast aside. They are good people Shino. They value you and the friendship you offer, and you know it._

"I know, but… they're my friends. My first friends. My ONLY friends. I want to make myself worthy of their love. But their abilities are beyond most Shinobi, beyond most human limits. I can't keep up with them at this rate."

…_I can give you that power. I was sent to do so. Ask not of me who sent me, for it does not matter. This power will require no cost, no compromising conditions. me bond with you… and you shall know my power and its wonder…_

"… Alright then." Shino removed his glasses, and the moon reflected in those insectoid eyes. He looked up, a resolute grimace on his face. "Whoever you are, whatever you are, I agree. I submit to you. For my friends, to prove myself worthy of them… I accept the risk of this strange deal. I ignore every logical warning before my eyes. Take me… I submit!"

_Shino... how wrong you have it…_

The blue crystal in front of Shino suddenly splintered, light pouring from the cracks. They widened, and as the light started to become blinding, realization flashed through Shino's mind.

_Kami… it's not a crystal, it's an egg!_

It broke apart, the intense blue light forcing Shino's eyes to shut tightly. As it faded, and his vision cleared, Shino looked up…and froze. Before him floated… something. It was maybe a bit larger than his arm, though only a little longer than from finger to elbow. It seemed a segmented, deep blue crystal. At one end, the segment had a rounded spike emerging from the top, and there were two of them on the larger segment. The lager segment also curved down, looking like a guard for knuckles. Two yellow 'horns' protruded from the front of it, and below them were two crystals of a lighter shade of blue, looking like deep, shining eyes. The bottom of the guard-like part was curved into what seemed like a mouth, two more crystals like the eyes pointing down like fangs. ((A.N.: Pic in profile))

"Incredible… are you some type of demon? I find it a bit difficult to believe a demon would give me power with no gain of its own…" And then he heard the voice speak again, and suddenly it was like there was a peaceful force in his mind. The world melted away, till it was only him and this strange being…

_You still don't understand Shino… I was sent here not to control you…but for you to use my power. We will be as one, but your mind will remain your own. I swear it on my being as a Ra-seru. I will give you my power Shino, and with it you will roar like thunder, a great lightning bolt cutting across the sky… I sense you still do not wish to open your mind to me. Open to me, and I'll open mine to you. Shino… I was chosen to aid you, and I approved of this choice. As you have submitted to me, I am entrusting you with my destiny…never forget it. I am giving myself to you, because of what you strive towards with your friends…_

Shino looked at the strange creature for a good while. He then raised his arm, his hand reaching out towards this strange being.

"Who are you… what are you? What is a Ra-seru"

_I will explain when your friends join us… but my name, you may know now… I am Ra-seru Ozma._

"Alright then Ozma… I accept your offer. Give me the strength… to protect those precious to me…" Ozma suddenly floated downward, and slid perfectly onto Shino's arm, the 'face'-like part indeed covering his knuckles. The crystal-like, segmented body seemed to grip onto Shino's arm. And then, without warning, Shino felt a torrent of power course through him… electrical power. It crackled along Shino's arm, along Ozma, and into his body. He was tricked, he was going to die-

And then it exploded outward, bolts of electrical power striking the ground and trees around him in a display of incredible power. It started to die down, and soon stopped completely. Shino stared in wonder, and then back down to the strange being that offered him such power.

_If you're Heart stays true, then I will stay true to you. What you saw now was only a fraction of the power of Ozma, the Ra-seru of thunder. With hard work, you will gain power beyond your dreams. I will explain more tomorrow, for your friends will be here soon. Know this. You need but wield me, and work together with me, and my lightning will destroy any obstacle in your path. You can prove yourself to your friends, but more importantly to yourself._

_We will thunder together Shino… and together, your enemies will see our power…_

_Your strength… _

_My wonders…_

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And from another place, Kami smiled.

"I chose well it seemed. Ozma... you and Shino will be quite fun to watch. Not as entertaining as Naruto Uzumaki, but still fun..."

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_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: Great, a stuck up prick, a banshee that can't take this seriously, and a tardy pervert. Is there ANY upside to this?_

_Shino: Logically… I see none._

_Lee: Yup._

_Hinata: Ditto._

_Naruto: Perfect. Well, time to see if we can work together at all. I think I'll give this Kakashi guy a little scare, see how good he is at reading people…_

_Next Time: A Team Destined to Fail. Team 7 is going to be a headache Naruto!_

_Shino: The ally we've recently recruited has given us a most opportune recruitment possibility, involving an old 'teammate' of his…_

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Wow. This really got fucking long. I'm really tired. It's Midnight, and the same day I wrote that chapter to explain the long period since the last chapter.

I feel bad. I had this scene in a chapter or two that would dramatize Naruto's first kill, and be kind of like the scene from "Ruroni Kenshin" with Jinei when Kenshin kills him, but somehow Mizuki ended up as his first. And screw all of you that want to say in your reviews "Man that doesn't sound right." You're the ones thinking of pairing Mizuki with Naruto ya pervs… though I kinda just that image just now… oh well. I'll work my nice philosophical fight in some other time. Maybe

Well, I'm gonna need a week before I start the next one, to make sure I stay caught up with my life. This thing has cost me a lot of sleep, mostly from walking around in circles to figure out how I wanted it all to work.

SEMI-IMPORTANT: When searching You Tube for Zuo Ci, include the game 'Dynasty Warriors 5" in your search. But for Zhao Yun, it's 'Dynasty warriors 6'. Also, to get a frontal view of the Ra-seru known as Ozma, go to You Tube and type in Legaia part 23. It's at the end of the clip in the last few minutes, not hard to find. 'Legend of Legaia' was an incredible RPG game for the Playstation, with a gaming system mostly based on 'Final Fantasy'. For those who never played it, I will in the next chapter explain to the best of my ability how Ozma works, what he is, and a basic overview of the game so you don't scratch your heads in confusion.

It is, as always, good to get actual reviews, and not your awkward philosophical opinions. Save those for a forum board.

IMPORTANT: I ask you all who read my explanations in the last chapter: PLEASE do not send me condolences about my Grandmother in your reviews. If you REALLY have to send them, do it in private messages… but I don't like getting them in general. I told you all about that even thought it was a personal thing about my life. I didn't do it for pity where she is concerned, just to explain that something serious made me stop typing for a while.

And as always, it's great to work on this story. Even though I don't do it enough, I thank Kamikon Wolf profusely for the philosophical online chat so long ago that inspired this story. It wouldn't be here without you, so thank you- and keep writing 'Blood Chakra'!

Well, enough with the philosophical stuff for now. Next chapter should help transition into some more action and power development, as well as some plot development. I can't wait.

Ja ne!


	12. A Team Destined to Fail

WOOOOOOH! OBAMA! CHAAAAANGE!

Ahem… now that I got that outta my system…

As always, it is a real joy to let my creativity flow and produce the story that's taken up a big chunk of the last 2 years inside my mind. I thank all of you who make this fun, who give me thoughtful reviews, and just in general make this such a fun opportunity.

I was reading a few new stories recently, and started to wonder something- half the time a name or term is misspelled, the author doesn't check online. Or if they know the spelling may not be right, they put a (sp?) next to the word. Here's what I can't help but think when I see that- why don't you search online? If you have time to type this story you can do that too. It just seems really weird…or just that they're too lazy to check.

Life has been better, though things are feeling a bit more hectic and busy. Will still work on this story, though it may go slow again. I can't tell at this point.

Also, does anyone know how to check on exactly how many favorite author alerts, story alerts, favorite story alerts, and author alerts a story gets? I wanted to do one of those things before a story starts whether author gives you the numbers and thanks you all, but I have no idea how to do it.

Also am still looking for a beta. If you want to do so, then please submit a review for this chapter in a private message as opposed to an actual review submission. Must be one page. You won't need to type that big a review for future chapters, but I need someone that can really look at my plot, characters, flow, grammar, everything, and determine what's good and what needs to change. I need REALLY serious criticism and beta work.

Alright. Well, I babbled like a jackass enough last time, and you aren't here for that. Those that are, my apologies.

And now, in the mortal-but-still-kickass words of Celebrity Deathmatch…

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Twelve**

_**A Team Destined to Fail. Team 7 is going to be a headache Naruto!**_

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((_Still the Year 12 AK_))

At 7:30 in the morning, a lot of people normally would be asleep. True, there were the shinobi who'd pulled all nighters, the Hokage, ANBU getting off the night shift, and such others. There were bartenders, workers in the red light district, and the like. But for the general population, and a large chunk of the normal shinobi, sleep was a commodity they were enjoying.

That was not so for the members of Shadow. After meeting up with Shino again the previous night (who had at first confused the others by concealing his entire right arm in his sleeve), they'd had a quick brief on a few things. On the true nature of Akatsuki's leadership. On the newly discovered Itachi Nobody, and that fact that Shih was the legendary Itachi Uchiha. They had all asked to see Shih, who was not present at the time. They'd only been told by Naruto that Shih/Itachi was… getting used to a few new changes and would be present shortly. They also decided that Naruto would return the Sacred Scroll, and if everything went as planned then no one would even know it had been taken to begin with.

It was afterwards, as they had been on the verge of leaving, that Shino had called for their attention… and removed his right arm from his coat, revealing Ozma to them. Naturally, they immediately were concerned about Shino, and about why he would let a completely unknown creature latch onto his arm. It had taken a good five minutes of explanation, as well as an examination to finally convince them Shino was ok. And as for the basic version of what Ozma was, it had taken little to convince them.

The fact that Ozma glowed blue every time he spoke into their minds was definitely proof he wasn't just a fancy armor piece.

Of course, the fresh, large lightning scorches in the nearby woods helped too.

Naruto had then again decided that the group should split up and head home, and that they would meet in the morning to discuss Shino and Ozma further.

But while the others had made it home without any events, Naruto had gotten into one unexpected jam…

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(_Flashback_)

Naruto grinned as he opened the cabinet. It had gone so perfectly. The ANBU were still doing sweeps in a perimeter around the tower, making the choice to teleport through Darkness directly to the tower virtually risk-free. He'd arrived undetected, and entered the same way. He'd just started to place the Sacred Scroll back onto the rack in the cabinet, when Hiruzen Sarutobi had walked right into the room, chuckling as he started to remove his Hokage hat…

The two stared at each other. Neither one of them moved a muscle. The Hokage's mind was whizzing furiously, wondering what Naruto was doing. By the look of Naruto's arm muscles as he'd walked in, the boy had been putting the scroll BACK…but there was still the question of how he'd gotten it, as well as how the damn ANBU had actually missed a fresh Genin sneaking past them. He had to switch out the ANBU teams if this was the result…

Naruto meanwhile was trying out every possible lie he could come up with. Not like the truth could work. Oh yeah, expose his biggest secret and take the others down with him. Yeah, a great plan. He kept thinking as the seconds ticked by, until he struck on one. Hoping he was as good an actor as he believed himself to be, Naruto's mouth widened into a very pleased shit-eating grin.

"Heh, darn. You got back early Old Man. I was hoping to make this a surprise…" And with that, Naruto start to spin a wagon-train of bullshit a mile long. Oh, it had been all truth at first, using the true story of Mizuki as a start. It let him start truthfully, gaining Sarutobi's trust for later in the story. Where it diverged was the part where Naruto 'took' the Scroll. He started to spin a web of crap about spending hours alone in a clearing, looking over the scroll before Mizuki showed up. He'd then noticed that Mizuki seemed packed for a long haul, rather than without any equipment, which would have been expected. Mizuki had then 'revealed' his intentions to Naruto, and had also revealed the secret of the Nine-tailed Fox.

Naruto couldn't help but think he deserved at least one award for this shit. The way he tilted his head down, the smile he'd been wearing leaving him as if haunted by the 'truth' about his burden…the Hokage ate it up like bacon.

Naruto then finished off by claiming he'd beaten Mizuki around until he finally took off. Sarutobi swore under his breath, making a reminder to inform a hunter-squad about the man.

"And I wanted to wait here for you, and tell the story and make it all the more dramatic, and-"

"Calm down Naruto. Well, it seems you've had quite a night." The old man smiled, placing a firm hand upon the boy's shoulder. "And even after finding out about the demon inside you, you're taking this very well. I'm extremely proud of you. To carry such a burden, and still keep going with that same strong attitude… you may make Hokage yet." Sarutobi winked, grinning as Naruto smirked back right at him. The old man then let a frown settle for a moment on his wrinkled visage. "Naruto… I know I have not always been there for you, when I should have. You have to understand… we made this whole thing a secret when you were born and it was sealed into you. Certain loopholes made by… less than generous people have kept me out of your life. And until the rest of the people who don't know about it are informed, it must remain this way, even to your friends…Naruto, believe me. I have only the highest hopes for you…" He knelt down, and his hand gripped Naruto's shoulder tighter. Though silent, it was as if he was begging for Naruto to forgive him, to shout, something other than then that pensive stare-

But finally, the boy's face widened into a fox-like smile.

"What's to apologize for? I understand… you did what you had to make the best of things for everyone, not just me… and I forgive you old man."

At that moment, Sarutobi had to hold in a gasp. Looking at Naruto from eye level, in the darkened room with only moonlight shining in, he could practically see Minato's face over the boy's, as if his old friend himself was forgiving Hiruzen.

_It scares me how much he's like you sometimes Minato. He's too damn mature for his own good. I only hope you may one day forgive me as your son has…_

The old man stood with a smile on his face… before something Naruto had mentioned earlier clicked all of a sudden.

"Er… Naruto. I hate to ruin this really nice moment, but I have to ask. It is quite impressive that you got the scroll out of here, but Mizuki was still at a Chunin level of ability. How exactly did a new Genin beat someone like that?" Naruto had to hold in a grin that would have been too wide. Now was the exact reason he'd practiced a certain technique on the way to the Tower. Thank Kami for his massive chakra stores and impressive control or it would have taken hours to learn it, like in the story he'd lied about…

"I told you old man; I had hours with that scroll before he showed up." Grinning, Naruto stepped back, bringing his hands into a cross. Hiruzen gasped. He KNEW that seal…

"**Shadow Clone!**"

A few quick puffs of smoke and where there had been empty space around Naruto now stood 7 identical clones. Sarutobi gasped, reaching out to push against one.

"Incredible. In a few hours, you master a Jonin technique. I always knew the chakra increase you received from the fox made molding chakra hard for you. The fact you have just decent enough chakra control to make something like regular clones is impressive in of itself. Still, to pull this off…"

"Yup! And I got the **Mass** version down too. You should have seen Mizuki. A few hundred clones and he nearly wet himself before we started wailing on him! I also took a look at one or two techniques after that, and I think I got them kinda down…"

"Incredible… most ninja would pass out after such a technique. The chakra which that beast gives you is incredible indeed. Well, if anyone asks, I had you do a few private errands for me and taught you this clone technique as compensation. It's not like a Genin can be expected to master this, so they can't fault me for your 'miracle' completion of this jutsu." The old man then held up a hand as if swearing to something, and yet a grin lay on his face as if holding in a laugh. "'I swear Homura, I never expected him to master it. And it didn't kill him, and no law was broken. What can I do?'" He finally started to roar with laughter, having to support himself with the desk.

"Just incredible… well, just don't go telling everyone where you learned it, and try to be discreet if you really did manage to work out any other techniques from the scroll. Well Naruto, get home now. You'll need to get some sleep before you get assigned a team and your license tomorrow…"

As Naruto shouted a farewell and leapt out the window, his grin lessened some. As always, lying to a man he'd known to really care for him stung deeply. Once more, he hoped the charade would be ended soon, so that he could be straight with the old man for once.

And of course, he thanked Kami for the immense level of chakra control Hinata had helped him to gain so he could suppress his chakra. If the old man had been able to sense how much chakra Naruto REALLY had, things would get complicated way too soon.

(_Flashback End_)

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After that little adventure, Naruto had rushed home, trying to catch as much needed sleep as possible. It was after waking from it that he'd gotten dressed ASAP, and now found himself in their special clearing, watching the strange creature known as Ozma give them a little background on Seru, while he glowed blue every time he projected some kind of telepathic voice into their heads.

Oh yeah, definitely not a normal Friday morning…

_Long ago, a God named Teig created the world I was born into. He made all life upon it, including humans. A mankind identical to your own, but without chakra. These humans were technologically limited, but hardworking. They were strong in spirit, alive in such wonderful ways… but physically weak, prey to many wild beasts. There were many times in history that they came close to dying out. Teig, in his wisdom, blessed them with a new species to aid them. Wondrous creatures… known as the Seru._

_They were what you might consider demons. They were made specifically for the benefit of mankind. Some were my size, and some as massive as mountains, all with different appearances and powers._

_These Seru could attach themselves to humans, bonding with them as I do to Shino. They gave the human race incredible strength, agility, or even special powers. Some had the ability to fly. Mankind flourished, and their prosperity seemed to know no boundary…_

_In order to watch over the Seru and humanity, Teig created a special kind of Seru. Ones stronger and smarter, special guardians known as Ra-seru. We were not only more powerful, but had a more complete conscious and emotions as well. Teig blessed us as guardians of the human world, and dubbed us as being Holy in his sight. So I suppose if Seru were demons, we Ra-Seru were 'purified' demons._

_But one Ra-seru, one of the most powerful of our kind, grew jealous of Teig. This Ra-seru, who was ironically named Rouge, gathered to him an army of Ra-seru who shared his greed for power. They wanted the very world Teig had created._

_But Rouge could not enter it. When Teig created the Seru, he made a special realm, one connected to the human world. This special place, known as the Seru-Kai, was the original birthplace of all Seru. And within it was a great tree of power, known as the Mother Genesis Tree. All Seru life was tied to it, and if it ever died then all Seru, regular and Ra-Seru, would fade away. Teig then placed ten lesser Genesis Trees in the human world, providing an extra source of power and protection for humans and Seru. And Teig then sealed away myself and nine other Ra-Seru into the lesser Genesis Trees as eggs, only to hatch when there was trouble and our power was required. We were the world's special guardians. And then Teig sealed off the Seru-Kai from the Human world so that an imbalance of Ra-seru or Seru would not occur. For Teig knew that as we contained emotion, Ra-Seru might come to contain desire, a dangerous thing at times._

_Rouge gathered his loyal Ra-Seru in a special tower, where they worked for centuries to try and break into the Human world, while Teig did nothing to stop them. He could have stopped Rouge at any time, so I believe he chose a stance of non-interference. Whatever the case, Rouge eventually found his chance. A human kingdom called Conkram, ruled by a king know as Nebular was at war with another kingdom called Sol. The people of Sol had recently found a way to use the flesh of Seru and, with the more advanced technology they had gained over time, create artificial Seru known as Sim-seru. The advantage it gave them was great, and the stalemate in the war seemed about to end. _

_Within Conkram, the king's son, a young prince known as Cort, was experimenting with Seru to find a way to give Conkram an advantage, some kind of new weapon. Inadvertently, he made contact with Rouge and the Seru-Kai. While he didn't actually open a portal, he was linked to and could communicate with Rouge, who told him of a device which produced a substance known as the Mist, which could greatly empower Seru. He told Cort how to construct a primitive generator of the stuff._

_It was a disaster. What Rouge did not tell Cort was that the Mist not only made Seru stronger, but also caused them to mutate into monsters while in its influence. The Generator created a portal between Seru-Kai and the human world, and Rouge poured the power of the Mist into the human realm. Seru began attacking humans violently and those who had Seru attached to them already became monsters as well. Rouge poured the power of the Seru realm into the link between worlds, spreading the Mist even as he told Cort how to make even greater Generators of the Mist by forcibly taking Ra-Seru eggs from the Genesis Trees and using them to power the machines. Within a decade, it had spread across the planet, the only survivors being small human colonies that could wall the Mist out. We Ra-seru, while impervious to the Mist because of our special nature, were trapped in the Genesis Trees by the Mist. It was mankind's bleakest hour._

_But then one day, one of the few remaining Ra-Seru still sealed, the fire Ra-Seru known as Meta, was awakened. A young man named Vahn, a boy with a very strong spirit, cried out for help as the Seru were attacking his village, and the power of his spirit awoke Meta, who lay within a Genesis Tree the village was built around. The two bonded, and empowered the Genesis Tree, which caused it to emit a power that drove the Mist away._

_They then began a very long, arduous adventure to clear the Mist from their world. Along the way they were accompanied by a young girl named Noa, who possessed Terra, the Ra-Seru of wind, and a warrior monk named Gala, whom I bonded with. We traveled the world, awakening the Genesis Trees and destroying the three Mist Generators that blanketed the world._

_At one point, before we attempted to tackle the third, we were blocked from it by a special wall, only destroyable with a special stone that no longer existed. But within Conkram, we found a special door that had been created long ago- one that, with the power of a flame born of a Seru, could take people into the past. Within the past, we arrived at the time that Cort had first activated the first primitive Mist Generator. We took the link it had with the Seru-Kai and travelled to Rouge's Tower, and after a long fight we defeated Rouge himself, closing the link. _

_However, history continued on course. Apparently, Cort found a way to improve on Rouge's design without help from that traitorous Ra-Seru, and made the three Mist generators as before. History repeated itself._

_Within a great fortress, Cort himself guarded the last Generator, having grown powerful and deluded within the Mist. We defeated him, sending him on a plunge down into the earth, and destroyed the Generator. We thought it was all over…_

_Unfortunately, Songi interfered. He was a warrior monk, the same as Gala, but with a very wicked personality. He also carried a Ra-Seru, and had served Cort for the power it offered him. After Cort's apparent death, Songi took control of an extremely powerful and gigantic Sim-Seru called Juggernaut, who long ago had been created for Cort as a great weapon. He bonded it with Vahn's hometown, and then with its power broke a hole into the Seru-Kai, planning to absorb the power of the Mother Genesis Tree itself. We had no clue how to follow him… until Teig guided us._

_The God Teig had helped us before, but Juggernaut had been let loose upon his sacred alter and destroyed it. We travelled to it, and Teig appeared before us again. He brought us to the Seru-Kai, where we fought and finally defeated Songi. His Ra-Seru was destroyed and he then was disintegrated. The very nature of the Seru-Kai was such that it destroyed any human not bonded to a Seru. However, we were too late. Songi had taken too much power and the Mother Genesis Tree was dying. Hope seemed lost to us…_

_But as it had before, luck-or maybe Teig- smiled upon us. In our journey, we met a Teig-blessed spirit named Hari, who was split into three child-like incarnations-past, present, and future. After giving us sagely advice and guidance, they almost immediately perished in an unnatural earthquake. But being blessed, they had immortality and lived on. And as we later stood before the Mother Genesis Tree, dying, they appeared once more, sacrificing their life force so that the Tree could live on, if only for a short while longer. We returned to the Human world, and travelled into the bowels of Juggernaut itself to finish the struggle._

_Within, at its heart, we found that Cort had survived his fall when he landed on Juggernaut, bonding with it. Our last fight with this empowered Cort was furious, and we only barely survived. As Juggernaut began to collapse and disintegrate around us, we felt the death of the Mother Genesis Tree. Meta, Terra and I used the last of our power to save those three wonderful youths. The world itself was now devoid of Seru, and I can only imagine it went on as humanity struggled to survive without the aid of Seru._

_And that is my story…_

For a while Shadow only stared at Ozma in awe. It really was an incredible tale. But then Lee's bushy brows contracted into a frown.

"Wait but a moment. That truly was a most Youthful story, one worthy of legend… but if the Seru-Kai and Mother Genesis Tree are no more, and you died, then… well, how are you here?"

_That is not for me to tell. It is beyond my control. Let us just say, that a higher power has brought me back, to help ensure that this world doesn't suffer any kind of disaster like mine did._

_**At least I hope that is the case. I can't exactly let Shino know that I have no clue if Kami really will care if this world is destroyed or not…**_

_In any case, my life force is now my own, without the need for the now-destroyed Seru-Kai. It is only a shame that I cannot summon myself… ha-ha, your quizzical looks are quite amusing. Let me explain. During our journeys, whenever we destroyed a more element-oriented Seru we could absorb their essence. Meta, Terra and I could then later use our power to temporarily summon that Seru into existence to fight on our behalf. Eventually, our power grew to the point where we could temporarily pull extra power from our link to the Seru-Kai, and use that power to construct a medium for our full power to be used in. We literally summoned ourselves into existence. To be a bit prideful, I must say I looked quite impressive. My specialty technique, __**Voltagor**__… I wish I could show you Shino. It created a storm of lightning strong enough to decimate a very large part of Konoha. To feel such power… it really was a rush._

"Impressive Ozma. I am honored to fight with one as powerful as yourself. Are you in no doubt that there is no mode in which to recreate your summoned body?"

_Well, I could use your body as medium and could then achieve full power as such… of course it would cause excruciating agony, and most likely kill you afterwards from the strain, and myself from no longer having someone to bond with…_

"…Right. We will not be doing that then…" Everyone had a good laugh at that, and only laughed harder as Shino glared with his 'segmented' eyes before putting his shades back on. "Well, we seem to be caught up now. We need more time before coming up with an effective solution to this Madara character and Itachi's Nobody. Also, the gathering to get our Shinobi licenses and Team assignments is in a few hours. I propose we get more sleep, and then head towards the academy. I will labor towards integrating my fighting style into using Ozma's power after I meet my team."

"Indeed. I have training with father and our team for most of the day."

"I need to take care of family matters at the Hyuga compound."

"And I need to work out with Shih, see what his new form can do." Naruto grinned. They'd seen Shih's new form after being told everything involving Itachi/Shih's history. They were amazed to say the least, and wondered what the Heartless was now capable of…

"Right. I will see you all tonight then, same time and the same place." Shino leapt off, quickly leaving the others behind.

_Integrate your style? Oh Shino, I'm afraid we'll be throwing whatever style you were learning out the window. If you want to use my power at its best, I'll have to teach you what is probably the best style for it._

"And what pray tell is that?"

_The same style Gala used. The fighting style of the warrior monks of which he was a member. The Biron Fighting Style…_

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"Heh, you all made it here on time huh? I must say I am very impressed. I hope you are all this punctual with missions as well…" Iruka grinned as he surveyed the year's graduating class. Especially Naruto. He'd been so proud to know the boy was moving on and more importantly that he could see his friends during his work to come. It was only a shame that he would not be with them on the same team. Iruka's smile diminished ever so slightly as he thought back to the conversation he'd had with the Hokage only a few hours before…

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(_Flashback_)

"Quite a crop this year, aren't they Iruka? I have a good feeling about them." Iruka grinned at the honorable Hokage, though not without some confusion. True, he could tell that Hiruzen had been sincere in that statement, and was sure that he hadn't messed anything up… but considering that an ANBU had dragged Iruka to the tower at five in the morning, he knew it wasn't just to congratulate him. "Yes, quite a crop indeed. And these teams… ah, team 10 is the family trio, as always. Hopefully they'll live up to their parent's reputation. And teams 7 and 8…ah, I'm afraid that I'll have to make a change here, with respect to you carefully thought out decisions." The Hokage reached forward to one of three pictures under a photo of the Jonin Kurenai. He then grabbed one of three pictures under a headshot of Kakashi… and then switched the two, placing Naruto's picture under Kakashi and Kiba under Kurenai.

"What? Hokage-sama, with all due respect, I fail to see how those teams are better. There weren't any very horrible students this year, so you gave me free reign to choose the teams as I saw best. Naruto, Hinata, and Shino are all friendly with each other, and would work well as a team. It makes the most sense. Kiba, while pack-oriented, is brash and rude…something I'd hoped would have worn off by now. Naruto isn't on the best terms with Sasuke or Sakura. I simply do not understand your decision." The Hokage let out a sigh, suddenly looking years older somehow. Iruka was reminded more than ever how old the Hokage really was. For all his power, he was a man truly past his prime, who shouldn't even be in office. Not from incompetence, but from enough service to warrant a retirement…and instead he held the job, because they had no one better.

"Iruka…you're choice for the teams was perfect. However, circumstances have changed… I can't go into all of the details, but last night Naruto found out about the Nine-tailed Fox." Ignoring Iruka's worried gasp-though pleased to know the teacher cared so much- he continued. "A few years ago, I sent Jiraiya on a mission to gather information on a dangerous group known as Akatsuki. He has constantly sent me information though his network. This group has an interest in the Biju, and containers like Naruto. Iruka…recently, I was informed by the Raikage that now both of their containers were kidnapped by this group, and that the Three-tails sightings have stopped. If this is to be believed, then Akatsuki most likely has seven demons now. Kurenai is a talented Jonin, but I need an experienced, deadly warrior to keep Naruto safe. Jiraiya's letters seem to indicate that something has stepped up Akatsuki activities in the last two years, and I wouldn't put it past them to come for him if he leaves the village. Of course, this is all confidential Iruka; I'm placing a lot of trust in you here. In any case, Kakashi is the best we have in case of an attempt on Naruto. Tell him I made the decision, but don't let him know why… I am responsible, and I'll shoulder any anger he feels alone."

(_Flashback End_)

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Iruka sighed. About the only good that came from the conversation was knowing that Naruto at least understood why people treated him in the manner he'd experienced in his life… and that the Hokage trusted Iruka with such knowledge. The thought of a group of people like Akatsuki using demons, and the Biju at that… the whole village would riot in a panic if that got out. Sarutobi really trusted him here.

"Now normally, I choose these teams based on a selection system, and who I think will work best. However…" Iruka steadied himself, knowing the announcement to follow would kill Naruto and his friends. "This year, there are a lot of promising students, and the Hokage himself decided to handle the teams himself. Sarutobi-sama decided these, so if you have any problems, don't whine to me."

And as Iruka started going through the teams, a conversation went on, unable to be heard even by the sharp ears of Kiba Inuzuka…

_That makes no sense. It's always been done by the teachers. There's a by-law preventing the Hokage from interfering with team selections._

_Indeed. I can only conclude that the Hokage has an ulterior motive for this action. Naruto, what is your estimation?_

…_Let's just see what the old man did. Who knows, maybe we'll figure out why SHE is hiding there against the wall…_

"Team Seven… Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki. Your sensei is Kakashi Hatake. Team Eight… Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga. Your sensei is Kurenai Yuhi." As Iruka continued on, Sakura started cheering about being together with Sasuke, and Kiba gave Hinata a glace-over that she'd break his arm for if she wasn't keeping her cover, said conversation continued.

_Well guys, I think the old man finally had too much to smoke._

_I know. We work so well together. Even covering how close we are it's obvious we're friends. How can they not put us together?_

_Hm… I have a theory. We know from our exertion outside of the village that rumors of Akatsuki are increasing. From that, and the data the Search Ghosts have gathered, I judge that Hokage-sama is worried that Akatsuki may come for you next. We know they most likely have at least seven of the nine, so you need to be 'protected'. Kurenai is a new Jonin, while Kakashi is legendary. Only the finest to shield the warden of Kyuubi…_

_I almost wanna confess the truth and let them know how pointless it is… still, no worries. It means our time together is cut down, not eliminated. We can also check on two professional Jonin at once, see if either is a potential recruit for-_

"Normally you'd be picked up by your senseis now, but a recent inflow of missions has them all busy, so come back here tomorrow at noon to meet them. Alright, now just one last boring speech, and then you all get evicted." Smirking as most of the class chuckled, Iruka's face change to one of immense pride as he surveyed them. "As with any class, I am deeply impressed with the work you put in. You've all struggled, learned, and worked together towards what you wanted. I can't think of a way I could be more proud of any of you. I- one moment." Iruka sighed, and the whole class got another quick laugh as the eraser left his hand and plunked off of Shikamaru's skull, snapping him awake. "As I was saying… you really all did well. Rarely do we pass an entire class. I only wish that Mizuki, wherever he is, could be here to see this. To think he's missing this for whatever reason… anyway, I hope to hear great things about all of you. Congratulations. And now…" Iruka smirked, knowing this would be the last time he used the 'big-head' genjutsu on this class. "GET THE HELL OUT!" Everyone jumped, and then roared with laughter as they sprinted for the door, with the exception of the more reserved students. He smirked and started to clean up, watching as the last student left the room. "Every year I'm so proud, and it just makes it harder to watch them go… so, see anyone that looked fun to play with?" For as Iruka turned, a shimmering in the air signaled a genjutsu fading, and Anko Mitarashi stepped away from the wall.

"Nope. Every year I hope to find someone that would do well in interrogation, and every year the little pipsqueaks disappoint… you're a great teacher Iruka, but really, cut me some slack. I need a little masochist to call my own…"

"It's been the same the last 4 years Anko, and it probably won't change soon." Iruka smirked, and then turned away to hide the slight blush in his face. Damn her clothing. He knew she wasn't loose and respected that, but damn if she didn't dress it.

Anko noticed, and a grin suffused her face. Well, why not? She did it every year the last few years, even though sadly he never reacted. Maybe it was time to stop going for Iruka… he got a little nervous with her flirting, yes, but he obviously wasn't interested in her. Despite her apparel and at times flirtatious attitude, she actually had a good standard when looking for someone and a guy as kind and gentlemanly as Iruka fit it. She stepped over behind him-wishing, as was her custom that for once he'd make SOME kind of move- and slipped her arms under those of the shyer Iruka, smirking as she noticed him stiffen. He really was too sweet a guy…though it could have been her large breasts on his back… she grinned. It was probably both.

"So Iruka-kun, now that the school year is over, you'll have a lot of free time…how bout we spend some together…" Iruka flushed. It wasn't that he didn't like her. She was very attractive, and had a very… free spirit that somehow had appeal to him. More than that, he had in the last few years come to appreciate how unfairly she was treated, after noticing she had similar deal as Naruto. True, she had a much… different way of dealing with it, but she had survived, and was quite the impressive ninja to boot. But… Iruka sighed mentally. He knew he was being a bit of a weenie here… but anytime he'd ever felt a physical, much less emotional attraction, he just could never fucking ACT on it. He gulped, his hands resting down and a bit behind him, just barely out of her line of sight, wanting so badly to just do something…

It might have ended as it had the past few years. Anko mentally sighing and leaving, while Iruka cursed both his own over-zealousness to be a gentleman and his shyer nature. And this time she would have chosen to stop trying forever.

Except suddenly, there was a very loud smack that made Iruka jump up…

… And Anko jumped back, rubbing her ass; she was sure there was a red mark under her shorts.

"You… shit, Iruka… did you just smack my ass?!" Iruka started to babble, blushing like mad at the thought of doing so. He hadn't actually done anything, but hadn't sensed anyone in the room either. Crap, what the Hell as going on?! He looked up, trying to prepare for the wrath he knew Anko usually let loose on men who he'd seen actually try that before… when he noticed the VERY happy grin on her face. Anko strode over to him, and wrapped her arms round his neck, grinning like a cat at the slightly shorter Iruka. "Well it's about fucking time…" And with that she leaned down, stealing what was not only her first kiss but at the time unknowingly his as well. For a moment, Iruka was stunned, wondering if maybe using that big-head genjutsu had finally caused some kind of mental damage to his brain…

… And then his arms came around her waist, and for a moment there was just their kiss, their bodies pressing softly, as the initial small bit of lust she had and the nervousness he'd felt soon melted away, the hard and hot kiss melting away to leave a softer kiss at the mutual attraction they had for each other beyond the physical…

And then they broke apart, both blushing but grinning softly at the other.

"It's true what they say… first time really is the best, especially when it's a literal first."

"Same here… so Anko… that idea about some time together still open?"

"Definitely. Say… tonight, at that new place downtown?" Iruka nodded, still amazed this was happening. "Alright then." She leaned down a bit, whispering in his ear. Not huskily, but in a cutesy flirty manner that to her elation made him blush again. "This little snake is gonna get ready for a nice night with her cute dolphin…" And with that she made her exit with Shushin, though not before one last action, and the yelp that resulted made her smirk. Kami the man had a nice butt…

Iruka rubbed his head and sighed, even as a smirk made its way to his face. He left for home, wondering what to wear…

For a minute there was no movement. And then, as if finally satisfied that no one else was coming into the room, a figure emerged from the floor. It seemed a Shadow Heartless at first, but it had instantly appeared up from the floor in a very rapid and quick manner, unlike the flattening against the floor motion that all Shadows did. This Heartless simply sprung up from the floor, not there one second and there the next. It also looked different from a Shadow. Where a Shadow's short legs normally where, longer legs protruded from a thin torso, as opposed to the rounder one Shadows possessed. This new Heartless also had longer, stronger looking arms, with the claws to match. The head was a bit smaller, more streamlined, and the antennae were much longer, but stiffly zigzagging like lightning bolts behind the head. It still had no mouth though, and the same eyes the glowed a bright yellow. Such… was the Neoshadow.

The other Heartless, and the few humans that knew about this new Heartless, knew that it was faster and stronger than any Shadow… but they also knew this particular Neoshadow, unlike the others, was the fastest and strongest of them all, and also stronger and faster than virtually all of the other Heartless. It was also more intelligent and strategically grounded if its performance in spars indicated anything… but the aforementioned humans also knew it was personable too.

Currently, it was watching where Iruka had just exited. It had been given the assignment of staying after and seeing if it could glean any information on Iruka's announcement of the teams and the Hokage's behavior, which even confused said Neoshadow. It was not like the Hokage he remembered…

He hadn't learned anything, but HAD been witness to the little moment Iruka was having. Unable to resist, feeling the more open emotions his time as a Heartless had brought, he had popped up unseen behind Anko and given her rump a smack. He then zipped back into the floor unseen, popping up again under the desk, hidden by the shadows. He'd expected a funny scene… not the romantic one that ensued. Then again, Naruto favored Iruka, so it worked out anyway.

Wishing he still had a mouth to grin with, Shih zipped into the floor in a little more time than a blink, leaving no trace as usual. Naruto would definitely want to hear about this…

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"Again. And again. And again and again and again… I do wonder Hinata, how many times I must see you fail to show any true potential before I simply stop trying." Hiashi turned away from his eldest daughter, watching her younger sibling spar with a Branch boy her age. His lips curved into a slight smile as she decimated the servant, sending him to the ground in pain. "Effective. Without hesitation. In complete control of every fight she goes into… that is how the heiress of our clan should be…" Hiashi turned back, a slight scowl now permeating his features. "I have yet to understand it really. You always were weak. Only a few years ago did you start showing potential… but no major growth. You show only the most basic proficiency in our clan's style. While both your sister and cousin advance at rates that outpace you. You are of my direct blood, and yet you are weak… truly an enigma wrapped in a riddle. I cannot understand it. And the fact that you show kindness, _understanding_ to those of the Branch House… incredible. You seem to completely forget their position… and your own."

"There is nothing wrong with showing compassion to others father-"

"-But you show nothing else. You are really to gentle for the responsibility of being the leader of the Hyuga, and definitely too weak. It is quite easy…" He walked closer to where she was bowing on her knees. Unseen by anyone, his scowl turned into a sneer, and then as it left his face his foot lashed out, catching her in the stomach. Hinata's body flew through the air, hitting the wall and collapsing to the ground. She gripped her stomach in an appearance of pain as he walked closer again. Hiashi sighed, and his foot came down on her head, pressing it hard into the floor as she gave a sound a bit like a whimper. "To step all over you. Truly, I cannot fathom how you lack strength that the members of the Main House should posses. Even your talent with the Byakugan is lacking. I almost wonder if you are really of my blood. It would probably shame your mother to see how weak her child is…"

Hinata seethed inwardly. The memories she had of her mother were nothing like that. If anything her mother had been Hiashi's opposite. To speak of her in that way, it was all Hinata could do not to break her cover right there…

"The Chunin Exams will be held at Konoha this year. If your team is entered, then it will be your only chance to prove to me you are worthy of my time. That is if whatever team you're on doesn't drag you along too much, and show me beforehand just how weak you are. If you are unable to prove yourself, then Hinabi will simply have to take your position." The younger girl, who was standing over her beaten opponent, gave a small grin before leaving her father and that weakling of a sister alone in the training dojo.

"Father… that would go against clan tradition. Whether I have favor with the Main House or not, they won't stand for displacing one who is the heir by birth…"

"Normally no… but in the last two years, activity outside of the village has prompted some new concern over the safety of the Byakugan. There are dangerous times ahead, though how far off they are is uncertain. This clan will not be caught off guard. Now because of this, the clan has recently made a small innovation to the Caged Bird seal that we would never have found without such motivation." Here, Hiashi suddenly activated his Byakugan, sweeping his vision around them. Satisfied no one was watching or listening in, his mouth broke into a small smile… a pleased one, and it gave Hinata a shiver. "It is a modified version. Invisible to the bare eye, unlike the normal seal, save those with Hyuga blood. Even with the Byakugan inactivated, any member of the clan will be able to see it… a mark that you are a shunned, dishonored member of the Main House. Any Main family member will treat you with the same respect as a Branch member, and the Branch will not even have to aid you in any way if they choose so. A pariah within the clan, and forbidden to ever leave this compound."

"So try to improve yourself my daughter… if it comes to that, and you show no chance of ever being a daughter I can be proud of, I will personally place that modified Caged Bird seal and never again consider you my true offspring." Removing his foot from where it was still crushing her head into the floor, Hiashi turned and left, other business already on his mind.

Hinata slowly stood, taking a slow breath before closing her eyes. As they opened, the veins signaling the Byakugan bulged, and her eyes then turned silver as well, Nothingness vision aiding her own bloodline vision. She had to make absolutely sure she wouldn't be seen for what she did next. Satisfied, she seemed to furrow her brow ever so slightly, and suddenly a pool of Nothingness appeared below her. She fell through it even as it closed up; leaving no sign it had been there.

Some miles away in the woods surrounding the village, far enough to avoid any patrol, another such portal of Nothingness opened, and Hinata stepped out of it. She rested her hand upon a thick tree as it closed, and seemed to give a small sigh…

And as she did, several large strands of Nothingness burst from her hand, puncturing the tree like it had been wet tissue. They continued on another 30 feet, spearing three more trees before they faded away. Had anyone else been able to see them, it could have been noted that they looked like lightning bolts, or perhaps lightning-like thorns…

"Weak? Father, I am far from weak. But the strength I have…I want to use it help others, not to rule with some kind iron first like you seem to want. One thing is for certain, and it is that you will never place any seal upon me. My Heart, Body, and Soul are all free…" She sighed, and then snapped. Three Nobodies appeared before her, all of them a recent type she'd been able to create.

Thin, black feet similar to those of a Dusk gave way to the same thin gray legs, though here there seemed to be a kneecap, albeit with three sharp points in front, left, and right of the knee itself. The surprising difference would be that those legs went into what was actually a larger than normal pelvis (for a Nobody anyway) and wide hips, which connected into a thin waist and torso that appeared as part of what looked like a swordsman's shirt, with a zipper on each side of the chest. Indeed, it's very appearance and skin seemed like a swordsman's clothing, the arms appearing to be 'covered' by long sleeves that widened at the end, emblazed with the Nobody symbol on each wrist. Like the feet, the hands were black, barely visible under the sleeves. Wrapped around the waist were two blue belts, strapping to the Nobody a pair of half gray/half black Katanas which the three of them drew and held in battle readiness. Their heads seemed to be like cylindrical masks, with three parallel diagonal slits on each side of the face. Every bit of their appearance screamed professional sword user, and being Nobodies they had no emotions to distract them. Truly emotionless warriors intently focused on any order given by their master.

Truly, the Samurai Nobodies were well named, and frighteningly so.

"Alright, all of you at once like the last time. I need to vent." The three Samurai launched themselves forward, six blades swinging from different angles. At seemingly the last second, she seemed to blur from existence, moving with such speed as to escape even their fast attacks. She leapt back, and with a small flash her unique sword appeared in her hand. "Let's give Saix here a workout, shall we?"

At once they leapt forward again, attacking with no emotion, only the order which they followed. Hinata held the sword in her reverse-grip style, and proceed to block slash after slash, warding off each blow almost effortlessly. Had any witness been there they would have been awed by how she didn't even appear to be trying.

And yet, while she didn't really have to take it seriously, she enjoyed every moment, every deadly blade that came her way. To let go compared to the facade she presented, and feel the power she knew she had running through her… it was glorious.

The spar went on, with no one to witness the deadly shinobi and warrior that Hinata Hyuga had become…

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"My students! Bring a halt to your training and come here, for I have the most glorious news to impart upon you this Youthful day!" Team Gai turned from their individual tasks and headed to Maito, leaving behind an array of evidence of the hard training they were going through. For Tenten, it meant a dummy filled to the brim with kunai, shuriken, and oddly enough a farmer's scythe. Neji left behind a large bolder with many small indents, evidence of the hard strikes he'd been employing against it. And Lee left behind a patch of grass soaked with perspiration from the 1,000 pushups exercise his father had given him. "This year the Chunin Exams will take place within Konoha, and I have deemed all three of you ready. I have doubt that you will all display your Youth and show how much you've improved."

"They're going through with them?" Tenten cocked an eyebrow, surprised at the news. "With all the rumors and happenings going on outside of the village, I figured some of the other countries wouldn't even want to participate. Can we afford to go ahead with the exam?" Gai nodded, proud as always of his student's perceptiveness.

"That was considered. However, the Hokage feels that now more than ever it is fact critical to hold the exam. As I've taught you all before, an appearance can be very deceiving, belying one's true Youthfulness. It is why we should never underestimate an opponent. However, appearances can be useful as well, sometimes preventing actual conflict in of itself. The strong standing and appearance of the five great villages has always done so. If whatever is going on outside our walls causes us to display a weakened appearance, it could cause doubt, and possibly panic. By holding the exams despite whatever is going on, we can calm the minds of Fire Country, and show how our Youthful strength will always protect them!" Gai grinned, teeth shining as he held his 'nice guy' pose. Lee smirked; eccentric or not, his father definitely was uplifting. Unfortunately, Neji chose that moment to ruin the mood.

"It doesn't matter. All that is important is that we will be participating. They have no one strong enough to really challenge us. Fate decrees it so." He turned towards Lee, an almost non-existent sneer on his face. "Try not to weigh us down. A team is only as strong as its weakest member, and you're still only average compared to Tenten and myself despite all of your so-called 'hard work'. Gai-sensei, if you'll excuse me I have duties to the clan I must attend to." Neji turned and set off, leaving his team behind. Lee scowled, and then noticed his father frowning at Neji's retreating form. Lee shook his head, and gave a smile to Gai. "Don't worry sensei. He can't ignore your Youth forever, right?" Gai turned, grinning widely at his adopted son.

"Lee, as always your Youthful attitude has fueled my Youthful flames. I... oh Lee!" And with that, Gai pulled Lee into a tight bear hug, tears running down his face. Lee, not as into the Youth philosophy and not as eccentric as his sensei, awkwardly smiled and hugged back, shooting Tenten a glare as if to say 'please, break the mood. Speak. Throw a kunai. Do something…'. Tenten sighed, which ironically caught Gai's attention.

"Sensei, if you don't mind I'm going to head home and help father run the store for the day. Business has really been picking up recently." Smirking at the nod Gai gave she leapt off on her own way, leaving the father and son alone in the field. Gai released Lee, looking down on him with a wide grin. It was only in private that he allowed Lee and himself to stop being sensei and student for a while, and really be father and son.

"Lee, the last 2 years have truly shown what hard work can do. You've become a splendid ninja, almost glowing with Youth. I have no doubt you will impress in the exams. And should you face Neji, I believe that when you finally remove your weights and face him unhindered, you will truly force him to give his all. He'll either truly embrace Youth for once and push you to your all, or suffer a defeat that hopefully will change his attitude. Now, I'm going to do my own training for the day while you train here. If you need me, I'll be climbing the Hokage Mountain using only my pinkies. And if I am unsuccessful, I will attempt it again with only my ring fingers!" Lee grinned at his father's excitement over the thought of such a task, and had started to turn when he felt his father's hand on his shoulder. As he turned, he noted with a start the seriousness on Gai's face. The older man was temporarily dropping his attitude for a moment, and looked at Lee as if trying to peer into his soul.

"Lee… son… I don't mind you training late at night, which you do often. I also don't mind you training in private when not with the team. But… that fact that you won't tell me where you go or what you're doing worries me." Lee looked down, trying not to let his face show the shame he felt inside at lying so constantly to the man who'd taken him in and literally treated him like a son. "I never smell any drugs, alcohol, or even sex on you when you come home… but I still don't know what you are doing. I give you a good amount of trust Lee… and I know you're a good kid, but I do wish you'd tell me and return that trust."

"Dad…"

"… Still, you've proven you're a hard worker and an honest, responsible young man from what I have seen of you. I'll continue to give you that special trust Lee, because you've earned it… but one of these days you'll have to tell me. You know that, right?" Lee nodded solemnly. Gai, nodded back, and then suddenly smiled brightly. "Now, enough of this depressing talk. I'm off to let the flames of my Youth burn, and incinerate whatever task I set them to! Do the same Lee, and continue to make me proud to have a Youthful son such as you!" Gai posed one more time, unnaturally white teeth shining, before bounding off.

Lee stood there a minute with his eyes closed; contemplating his father's little speech. After a minute, he opened those eyes, the bright yellow brought on by Darkness shining. Satisfied that no one was around, he deactivated his Darkness Vision and took off for Shadow's special clearing.

Arriving a few minutes later, he leaned against a tree and sighed, eyes shut tightly to keep any possible tears from falling.

"Father… forgive me, but it is not yet a secret that I can tell you. Naruto and the others… we have too much at stake here, too much planned. Someday I'll tell you, and I can only hope that you'll understand and forgive me. I… Gai…" Wiping the few tears away, he turned to the Search Ghosts and Neoshadows that had been waiting there for a good 3 hours already. "I am sorry to keep you all waiting." The Search Ghosts took up a perimeter around the clearing so as to warn if anyone approached. Lee nodded, and turned to the Heartless before him. "Come then. I'll test my Youth, and my Heart, against you. Let's make it a grand training spar, shall we?" Lee then fed Darkness into the seal on his chest, the power coursing from his Heart activating the Heartless Seal. Not only did his eyes glow, but his hair, which he had been keeping spiky after he grew out of the ponytail, seemed to stand up even straighter if possible. He let enough Darkness flow to even create a small aura of Darkness around him, though not enough to catch any attention. He grinned, amazed as always at the power that flowed through him. "Come! In this spar, the Darkness in my most Youthful Heart will guide me to victory!"

Lee rushed forward at an almost inhuman speed, even with the weights upon his legs. The Neoshadows leapt forward, and the fight was joined.

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In another clearing far from Konoha stood Shino, who had decided not to gather more information on his and Hinata's new teammate and Sensei in favor of starting to learn the new style of fighting that Ozma has spoken of.

_Now Shino, tell me, what actual styles do you know of?_

"Well, Hinata employs the Hyuga Jyuken style, which mainly focuses on closing tenketsu. It is very stylized. Lee and his father practice Goken or 'Iron Fist', which focuses on breaking an opponent's bones. Not as complicated in stances, but still possessing a wide variety of moves. There are a few others, but since I was never given any special training with my clan I have mostly stuck with the basic academy style."

_Hmm… well, I think the best way to describe this is as a different form of Goken. The first major difference is that while this style is not nearly as complicated as this Goken stuff sounds, it is still possesses a decent amount of moves. The second is that unlike the purpose of Goken, the purpose of the style of Biron… is to destroy whatever is in your way._

"What?"

_While travelling with Gala I have seen several styles that sound similar to this Goken style. Large amounts of strength and speed and required to get to an opponent and focus that strength on shattering bones to disable them. With Biron style, you will not attempt to crush bones, but simply decimate everything in the way of your limbs… to destroy them with the power of Love._

"…Love?"

_Ah, I'd forgotten that part. Forgive me. The monks that practiced this style worshipped a God known as Biron, a God that showed Love onto his followers. They believed that same Love crushed their enemies. Also, any time they fell in love with someone, it was said that it was the hand of Biron bestowing happiness and love upon them. So quite literally, Biron is Love and Love is Biron. To destroy your opponents with the power of Love is to destroy them with the power of Biron._

"Understood. Will I be required to convert to this religion?"

_Not really. They worshipped him from a sense of purpose and duty in learning that style. You aren't as religious, so you won't need that kind of spiritual motivation. You can if you want, or if you feel it will motivate you more if in that mindset. In any case, the idea behind this style is that every move, every strike or punch or kick cannot be stopped. Every attack is fueled by the power of Biron, and will simply destroy whatever is in its path. If an opponent survives the attack or is unbroken, you simply go again and again with that same mindset no matter the result, confident that soon the power of Biron will decimate them while protecting you from their own attacks._

"And I presume you will be adding to my power in order to facilitate more pleasing results?"

_Err… yes, I think._

_**I won't be getting used to his vocabulary any time soon…**_

_In any case, I'll be channeling my power into you to help. Speed won't be as important here. You'll be focusing on strength and power, and if your speed increases as a result, all the more chance you can connect to your opponent. We're going to make you a tank, able to take punishment and dish it out that much harder. Any blow made against you will not be felt; indeed, you'll overcome it easily and crush the offending limb on your way to crushing them._

"Excellent. I am ready to begin Ozma-sensei."

_Good. Also there are a few moves where I can channel lighting through you safely, effectively making you that much more deadly. I can't do it all the time however, or we might start to damage something inside of you. After all my power over lightning is quite impressive. Once we build a tolerance in you, we'll get into those techniques. Alright, now let's get started using that thick boulder I had you drag over here. We'll start with a simple technique, called __**Ironhead**__…_

Shino almost groaned, guessing this was going to be a long and painful afternoon…_** (1)**_

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"Alright… hah…ok, time to stop Shih, we've been going a few hours already…" Naruto fell back onto his ass against a tree, gulping as Shih's claws tore thick gouges in the tree, almost ripping it in half. Thankfully he heard the last part and stopped, take up a spot next to Naruto. Naruto sighed, resting Dragon Spike down at his side. "Wish I could still thank Zhao Yun for this thing… the balance, weight, length…everything is just perfect. Not to mention how kickass it looks… anyway, I think we need to head home and rest up. We get our new teams tomorrow… huh?" Naruto stared at Shih, his eyes glowing bright yellow. Since Shih still didn't have a mouth, any communication between the two was reduced to Naruto have to look at Shih with his special eyes while Shih conjured up memories, and then Naruto figuring out what Shih was concerned about via those images. Right now, it was more than clear. "Nah, I don't get it either. She's got potential as a Genjutsu user, or maybe as a diplomat… but I can't see how Iruka felt she's ready either. Well, hopefully she won't be too much of a crutch for the team. 'Only as strong as its weakest member' and all that… still, Iruka's a good guy. Deserves Anko at any rate, thanks for helping him out… huh? Oh, yeah… look, I'll try to get along with Sasuke… Yes, I know you care about your little brother, but after what you're Nobody pulled he's always been a prick. I'll try, but I'm not promising that even I can get him to warm up to me. He's too much of a loner, and it's gonna be tough whether I can do it or not, you know that."

Shih nodded, and then melted into Naruto's shadow, hidden out of sight. Naruto stood and took off for home, thinking of the meeting he'd be part of tomorrow.

"…Wonder if this Kakashi guy has changed since you knew him…"

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"Oh Kiko, you naughty girl…" Kakashi giggled down into his favorite little orange book, before suddenly feeling a hard object crash into the back of his skull. He winced, and then turned to see a livid Kurenai glaring him down. Crap… in all the fun he got from "Icha-Icha", he hadn't even noticed that he'd finally reached the Hokage's office. Damn, he had to restrain himself maybe a tiny bit in the building… Kurenai's fist hurt. "Heh, sorry I'm a little late, but you see I saw an orange puma and had to go get a bowl of ramen to ward off the bad luck that would have ensued-"

"You idiot. At least pick a superstition that oh, I don't know, actually exists!" Kurenai sighed, resisting the urge to bludgeon him with the handle of a kunai. The other Jonin in the room shook their heads at a scene they'd seen many times before. She then turned back to Hiruzen, her manner much calmer. "You were saying, Hokage-sama?"

"Right. You've all been assigned your teams. I hope that you all will do the village proud and teach them well. Make fine shinobi of them…" The Jonin filling the room noticed the Hokage's eyes seemed to divert to Kakashi slightly more than anything. The man's failing of Genin teams in their exam was the stuff of legend. "You're all dismissed. Kakashi, a moment if you will?" The two men waited as the others slowly made their exit. Sarutobi did smile as he saw Asuma and Kurenai leaving together, talking very freely and closely. Ah, young love… and with things getting uncertain, it was good to see some while it was a time for such things. Finally, he closed the door and quickly sealed the room, keeping the conversation quiet. "You got the message about your team that I sent in advance, correct?"

"Yes. I was surprised you'd violate that law, minor as it is, but I understand why. Are you sure we should be putting Naruto on a team? I trust him, but the climate outside the village is a lot more dangerous than it would normally be…"

"True. But we cannot keep him here forever. He's too dead-set on being a ninja, and I'd rather any excursion from this place be supervised, especially with this whole Akatsuki business. I need you on this Kakashi, to keep him safe. And the rest of the team as well."

"If they pass that is. I looked at their records. Naruto seems like a hard worker and a good kid; he might get the teamwork thing faster than most, though his skill level over all seems really average despite his special burden. No show of rapid or quick growth potential… I'll train him if they pass, but he doesn't show very much in the way of future potential. The others… well Sakura seems like a real problem. Quite intelligent, but otherwise her skills are just minimum. It seems like she's the unfortunate type that's simply not prepared for the reality of this profession. If they pass I'll do what I can to make her more self-reliant. And Sasuke… he's too much of a loner. Beyond that he's fine, and has a lot of potential, especially when I can start teaching him about the Sharingan… but from the files Iruka showed me, Sasuke working on a team is a bet that not even Tsunade-sama would have taken."

"True…though Naruto's case might surprise you. He took the whole Kyuubi thing quite well last night…and he did master Kage Bushin in a few hours…" Kakashi's eyebrows raised in surprise. That was no easy feat in of itself…

"Really now… well, if he can get the necessary chakra control we could get somewhere then… but this is all speculation. They haven't passed my test. No one has. The only reason you haven't intervened and stopped me is that we both know you can't deny how important its lesson is."

"I know that. Still… Kakashi, Naruto is a tough discussion no matter which side you're on. And Sasuke is a favorite within my council as well as this village in general. Just… don't go too hard. I can help argue it out if they fail, and you won't be in the wrong by any means…but I'm really hoping it won't come to that. I have enough headaches lately…"

"Right. Well, I'm gonna get ready to meet the tomorrow… oh Hokage-sama?" Kakashi turned as he opened the door, visible eye curved in a smile. "What do you think: two or three hours late?" Sarutobi sighed, shaking his head in an annoyed manner.

"No more than three… it's a wonder none of those Genin hopefuls you fail never just leave and go home before you show up. A testament to their patience if nothing else…"

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Sighing for maybe the tenth time, Naruto knocked his head softly against a wall, trying to pass the long wait by.

The room was empty save himself, Sasuke, and Sakura. All the other teams had long been picked up and taken off for their final tests. Meanwhile, Team Seven had to stay behind, waiting for Kakashi to finally arrive. Naruto had considered coming in a few hours late… but explaining how he'd spied and snooped enough to learn about both Kakashi's habits and about the fact that all Genin teams received a final test was not an option. So here he was, waiting almost three hours now after when their sensei was supposed to arrive.

"Naruto, stop that. You're annoying me and Sasuke-kun." She turned back to her said object of affection, only to find him looking straight ahead at the door, as if nothing had been said. She sighed, and then leaned back to think in her own little world… the one where she _knew_ that he was just shy about liking her back and that he was waiting for the right time.

Meanwhile Naruto turned away, leaving his possible future team unable to see his eyes turn a bright yellow. They swept towards the hallway, peering through the wall… finally. Naruto turned his special vision off, holding back a sigh of relief as their teacher finally strode into the door.

"Heh, I'm a little late, aren't I? Sorry about that. A black cat went across my path, so I had to take the long way to get here." They all started. Even Naruto, who has gathered as much information on the more seasoned and powerful ninja like Kakashi, was a bit stupefied. He'd known about this little habit…but to really hear it coming from behind that mask was something else entirely. "Alright. I'll be waiting for you all on the roof. Hurry up now so we can get underway." And with that he poofed away, leaving the three Genin-to-be to start heading out the door…

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"L-Lord Orochimaru-sama?" The snake Sannin's _new_ lieutenant had been following the Otokage around, praying that he at least survived the first day of his promotion. Those that Orochimaru gave the position of lieutenant to knew that they, unlike the Sound Four, Kimimaro, and Kabuto, were expendable. Everyone was, but if you could prove your value you at least had less of a chance of the Otokage taking his wrath out on you. The last one had apparently used the wrong words when reporting vital news, if rumors were to be believed. And now the Sannin's newest lieutenant felt his spine shivering as his lord had suddenly stopped midstride and sworn under his breath. That couldn't possibly be good…

Orochimaru then flared a bit of killer intent. The newly promoted lieutenant shivered. That intent… it was slightly different than normal. Not normal killer intent, for that was reserved for enemies, Kabuto, and the Sound Four depending on the case. No, the degree and tone behind this was unique. Only one man ever answered it. And as he looked around nervously, said man appeared. A tall, pale young man, dressed in light gray clothes and a thick purple belt, whose dull eyes looked upon Orochimaru. Not dull emotionally, for it was easy to see the devotion and admiration in those eyes. But definitely dull physically, as if the bearer of those eyes was indeed struggling to keep them open.

Maybe the rumors of Kimimaro being seriously ill had something to them…

"You called, my Lord Orochimaru?" Kimimaro stood at a rapt attention as if talking to Kami himself. The lieutenant looked on in awe. There were stories, true and exaggerated, of the bone-user's zealot-like worship to the snake summoner, but it was fascinating to really see. Like a son eager to please a father.

"Indeed. I sent the Sound Four to retrieve a few vital persons for the coming destruction of my old village… and I have only just realized that without you there they may encounter…difficulty picking up Jugo." The sound Jonin restrained a gasp. Jugo was almost as legendary as the Sannin himself. It was said that he was the being from which the prized Cursed Seal was derived.

Kimimaro himself felt his eyes widen a bit. Jugo… it had been a while since he'd seen the man. He'd still been young when Lord Orochimaru had first taken him in a few years ago. Jugo was a young teen then, but his strange berserker-like power had caused even seasoned Jonin to fear him horribly. But Kimimaro… he'd somehow felt safe around Juno, and Juno had apparently felt the same. Kimimaro could keep him under control just by talking, and Jugo's power had eventually been replicated and given to the bone user, furthering his ability to serve Lord Orochimaru. They both owed each other so much…

"I want you to head to where Jugo is staying. The Sound Four have most likely reached Karin by now. It should take you a week to reach Jugo, another to retrieve Suigetsu, and then you all will return here as soon as possible. I will be waiting…don't fail me Kimimaro. I need all of you for this."

"Never, my Lord Orochimaru." And with that Kimimaro was gone. Orochimaru chuckled and started off once more. His lieutenant followed behind, a little confused. Something important had happened… and somehow, he was still alive.

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"… and kill a certain someone." Naruto rolled his eyes. Once they had reached the roof Kakashi had started them off on introductions, and had even gone first, despite making it as vague and strange as possible. Sakura had broken into a fit of giggles over her likes and dreams, though anyone watching would have to be blind to miss how she'd glanced at Sasuke every time. Damn it, she was gonna be a pain. And Sasuke had been no better, apparently wanting to prove as he had the last few years his complete lack of 'social skills'.

"Alright then. Blondie, you're up."

"I have a name you know. It's Naruto Uzumaki. My likes… training and ramen I suppose. Spending time with the few people I'm friends with. My dislikes… people who make judgments, decisions, and opinions with nothing to really back them up, which makes no sense. And my dream… nothing really comes to mind." Kakashi frowned behind the mask. Again, despite having the demon inside of him and the recent news about the shadow clone technique, Naruto showed a lack of both potential and ambition. It WAS possible for one seemingly without potential to do great things with hard work, but without ambition or anything to work for you couldn't go very far. At this rate… Kakashi wouldn't be able to help Naruto, hard worker or not.

"Hm… well, you all sound like an interesting group. Now go home, get some rest, and unless you want to throw up tomorrow don't eat anything. We're going to meet tomorrow at eight in the morning and have ourselves some survival training."

"What? But Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke-kun and the rest of us already did that back in the academy. It's the reason we're Genin now!" Her look of surprise turned to confusion as the silver-haired man started chuckling.

"Genin? You thought the three of you were Genin? Oh no, not at all. The academy Genin exam was just to weed out those truly unable to become Genin. The Jonin themselves have to deem you all worthy of being officially promoted. And… heh, here's the kicker. Only one in three teams is going to be passed. 9 in 27, and even still we may have less if you all don't really prove you're worthy." Kakashi noticed Sasuke bristle at this a bit, as if the statement had been directed at him, questioning his worth. Just some of the self-centeredness he'd have to beat out. "So again, I'd advise not eating. I'll see you all tomorrow then. Ja ne!" And with that he Shushined off, barely leaving any smoke or leaves to be noticeable.

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"Man, you're both lucky you get to skip out on this crap." Naruto sighed and rested his head back into Hinata's lap. The four members of Shadow were resting that afternoon in their special meadow, trying to relax after all the recent activity.

"Indeed. Kurenai seems to be more into gathering information, at least in this case." Shino started at the sky, letting the sun warm his face, the light glinting of his insectoid eyes. "She held that based on evidence of our time spent conversing together within the academy, and our records from team building exercises, Hinata and myself would work together quite efficiently. Despite his unfortunate impetuous attitude, Kiba was raised in a more pack-oriented setting within his clan, so teamwork is second nature, even if he will be… hard pressed to stick to a plan and not try to show off."

"True. He's the only one on the team I'm not planning on working with. It's like getting a downgrade. I get a rough, kinda dirty dog…" She reached down, running her hands along Naruto's shoulders, grinning as he hummed softly at her touch. "instead of my clean smooth fox."

"Still, I feel terrible for you Naruto." Lee grinned at the happy couple, only slightly disappointed he didn't have someone to rest against. "Sakura and Sasuke? A most un-Youthful team without your addition."

"Meh, could be worse. I could be a basic dead-last, which would make it impossible to talk sense into them. Average won't be much better to 'Uchiha Almighty', but hopefully Sakura will be easier to reach. I just have to word everything right so they realize that whatever we're doing tomorrow will probably involve working together."

"And Kakashi? What are you going to do where he is concerned?" Naruto sighed, his hand coming up to grip his love's hand and squeeze softly.

"Well, I'll just give him a 'demonstration' of my skill. After that, I'll just try to get away and get the others to work with me. If it doesn't work… well, I'll think of something."

"Which means… you'll basically fail. They can't work as a team, even if you shove the fact that it's required under their faces. Sasuke is a loner and Sakura will do whatever he says, probably without actually think of her team. It's a most un-Youthful situation you are in. … Well, you'll pull through. You DO have incredible luck after all. Oh and will you be using any Darkness techniques?"

"Hm… well, there was one jutsu in the forbidden scroll that happens to give me a perfect excuse to do so…"

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"- and how DARE he make us wait! Don't you agree Sasuke-kun?" Unfortunately, said graduate was sitting against a tree as Sakura paced and ranted, and seemed to be giving little attention. He had gotten here on time, and with each passing hour was getting more annoyed by both their sensei's tardiness and Sakura. He only sighed and looked up at the third member of the team, who was resting his head on a pillow in the tree above and snoozing. Naruto had come with the pillow, claiming he was prepared in case the man as late again. In hindsight, Sasuke realized he should have done the same. His back was killing him…

Finally, as they hit the three hour mark, a small poof announced the arrival of their sensei. Naruto found himself awoken to Sakura's shrieking, and by the time he had gotten down from the tree Kakashi had calmed her down… enough that she was just simmering anyway.

"Now, here's how it's going to work. I have these two bells on my waist." He reached down, giving the silver bells a flick. "Your objective is to each retrieve a bell within the space of a few hours, before this clock reaches 12." He pull out a small clock and set it upon a stump, next to two…lunchboxes?

"…But sensei, it's eleven already, and there are three of us…"

"Very observant Sakura… I guess you'll all just have an hour then. Oh well. Not everything in our line of work is always certain. In any case, the two that get these bells, one each, will join the team, and the third will go back to the academy. So… really only two of you can go beyond this point. Oh, and you'd better come ready to kill, or you guys won't even be able to touch me. The person that fails will also be tied to a post while the rest of us eat lunch. The test will start… now." Immediately the three Genin hopefuls leapt into the surrounding foliage. Kakashi waited a moment, and slowly removed his favorite orange novel and began to read. At least they all knew the importance of concealing a position. True, he could sense all of them easily, but for Genin they were impressive, especially Naruto. He'd had to actually concentrate for a second to locate the blonde demon container…

Kakashi's head suddenly snapped to the side, avoiding the small barrage of shuriken and kunai that had been aimed at him. Apparently, in the absence of any attack, Sasuke had decided to take the initiative. The last Uchiha leapt down and took a stance before the Jonin.

"Hm… a little hasty aren't you? The nail that sticks out farthest get's pounded down hardest after all…"

"You'll find I'm not like the others. Not like anyone from the academy. They may not be able to succeed at this test, but I'll be taking that bell and you can't stop me."

"Indeed? Well, alright then. Lesson one: Taijutsu… show me what you can do." Sasuke growled at the older man's lack of attention-he hadn't even put the book down- and ran forward. His arm swung back, and started forward as he planted his left foot to accelerate the punch. As Kakashi prepared to lean away, Sasuke's foot suddenly came down, stopping his momentum. His left foot spun around behind him, careening towards Kakashi's side. The older man's eyes widened a little as he brought an arm up to block.

For the next few minutes Sasuke unleashed an impressive slew of punches and kicks, barely able to keep calm… because the older man _still_ wasn't putting the book away. Finally Sasuke dove forward, a move that had been a bit unexpected. His fingers were reaching out, he could almost touch the bells…his fingertips felt metal… and then he went past as Kakashi pulled away. Sasuke rolled and recovered to look back, and then flashed through a few hand seals. Ignoring Kakashi's surprised look, he took a deep breath and then reared forward.

"**Fire Style: Grand Fireball!**"

The blast of flame spewed forth, burning the area where their teacher stood. After a few moments more he stopped, realizing that maybe killing a Jonin could have bad repercussions. As the flames died out though, he realized that there was nothing on top of the charred patch of earth. No corpse or ashes or even a living body on fire… Kakashi seemed to have vanished.

_Damn it…behind? No. Front? Left? Up? Or-_

"Down here."

Sasuke gasped as hands burst from the earth, gripping his ankles and pulling him down hard. He winced as he was roughly pulled into the dirt till he was effectively buried up to his neck. He struggled for a moment, until, finding it futile, he opened his eyes to find Kakashi kneeling before him.

"Lesson two: Ninjutsu. Kawamiri and **Earth Style: Headhunter**. Well, I admit most Genin aren't up to your level, but you're still not close to beating me. Hm… time to check on Sakura…"

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At that moment, said girl was watching as 'her' Sasuke was being toyed with by Kakashi. She shivered. The man really was a Jonin; he'd taken Sasuke-kun apart like the boy was nothing. And now it was only her and Naruto. He was the better fighter, but not as good as Sasuke of course. What chance did she stand now?

"Sakura?" She jumped and turned, barely able to keep from screaming out. Naruto lightly landed in front of her, a grimace etched into his face. "He's really good, isn't he? Look, if we go at the same time, we may stand a chance here-"

"What?!" She whispered, but it came out terribly venomous. "You just want to steal Sasuke-kun's chance to pass. How could you?"

"Wait, Sakura, think about this. We have to work togeth-"

"No! I can't believe you Naruto, how can you-" Before she could continue, there was a rustling to the side of them. Naruto swore and took off in another direction. She tensed to do the same-

"Sakura?"

She gasped at hearing Sasuke's voice and turned to the clearing…but there was only an empty hole. She turned back to the bush, and almost jumped for joy as Sasuke emerged from it… only for her face to contort to a look of horror as he noticed the many kunai and shuriken that were dug into his flesh, fresh blood running down his frame.

She screamed, and the world seemed to go dark…

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"Lesson three: Genjutsu." Kakashi shook his head sadly as Sakura fainted in front of where he stood next to Sasuke. "She outright fainted. I didn't even have to do anything…"

"Great. And she's supposed to be a potential teammate."

"You don't seem to think much of her…"

"She'd slow me down and hold me back, same as Naruto. I don't need either of them-"

"Says he who's buried up to his neck. Fell, I'm going to find Naruto and see if he's any fun. Don't take too long digging yourself out Sasuke-chan…" Kakashi grinned and leapt off, hearing a grumbling Sasuke behind him. He stopped after a while, and felt around. There was Sakura…Sasuke… huh.

Naruto. It had actually taken him more than a few seconds to sense the boy. He was surprised he had to work for it. He had needed to do so with the others. Though the boy had dealt with a few… unfortunate groups when he was younger. Naruto was probably used to hiding. Kakashi spent the next minute pondering that thought as he finally ended up in a very tiny woodland clearing, where the boy was standing all alone.

"Decided to make a stand then?"

"That's right sensei. You and me, one on one. I'm gonna give it all I've got."

"Really now? Well, I defeated your potential teammates with no trouble, and Sasuke was much better than you in the academy. Do you think you can do better with just one Jonin level jutsu?"

"So, the old man told you about that huh? I guess he would. And nope, I probably can't beat you. That's not the point of this anyway." Kakashi's eyebrow rose. Maybe his guess about Naruto figuring it out was right.

"Oh?"

"Yup. I mean, Iruka always told us about the great and famous teams Konoha has had, and they had three people. And he ALWAYS stressed working together. Hell, any teamwork exercise we ever had in the academy involved three people. If that wasn't a clue I don't know what was. We aren't expected to beat you even as a team or Konoha ninja are pretty pathetic. We're supposed to work together… which is why from its very conception, this was a team destined to fail." Naruto took a breath in, gauging the older man's reaction. He definitely looked surprised, his visible eye widening.

"Not bad… you're the very first person to get it without being told so after the test."

"Yup. I even knew that in suggesting that we not eat, we probably still could since you left it vaguely open. I just didn't because sometimes we can't in the field. But it doesn't matter anyway. Sasuke is always doing everything alone, thinking we're all beneath him. It's always been that way since that sad day with his clan. And Sakura, despite her intelligence, blindly would follow Sasuke off a cliff. She wouldn't even entertain the idea of working with me because she thought I was 'stealing' a chance from Sasuke. They can't work with me. So, already I'm out of the program."

"Well…" Kakashi paused. He was really stumped here. Naruto… really showed maturity here. Acknowledgement of teamwork, clear thinking, looking underneath the underneath. And there would be a lot of headaches if he failed this particular team… "Alright. Here's how it's gonna work. We have about half an hour left, and if Sasuke hasn't shown up by now then he's still stuck. Sakura is probably out of it as well. Neither of them really feels any closer. So let's have that fight you mentioned right now, and you show me what you've got. When time has run out, I've got a plan to maybe get them to really acknowledge and accept the teamwork concept, but you'll have to play along."

"Alright then. In the meantime, let's have a little fun. **Multi Shadow Clones!**" In a bunch of poofs, a few dozen clones formed around Naruto. Kakashi had a few moments to stare in impressed surprise before the replicas charged forward, attacking Kakashi with a decent form of academy taijutsu. The Jonin smirked, deciding to take them head on and get a little workout. He got so into fighting them that he never noticed Naruto going through seals until he dispelled them and saw the last few…

"Huh? I wasn't aware you knew any major jutsu besides the Shadow Clone jutsu from the Forbidden Scroll. Iruka sneak you something?"

"Nope, this is a little beauty I picked up from the scroll as well. Just never told the Old Man that I knew it…" Naruto grinned, and subtly cast a small Genjutsu over his mouth and voice. He knew Kakashi would sense it, but without dispelling it or using the Sharingan he wouldn't hear what Naruto said.

This was what came out of his mouth…

"**Darkness Style: Dome of Oblivion!**"

Here was what Kakashi saw and heard…

"**Forbidden Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness!**"

Kakashi's eyes, uncovered or not, widened considerably. It was impossible. Only the Second Hokage had ever been able to use that jutsu! And yet it wasn't a bluff. Even as he raised his hiate up, a cloud of darkness seemed to rise up behind the boy, slowly covering the entire field of his vision. Even as his Sharingan looked around, he found the darkness to be impossible to pierce.

"How… no one but Tobirama Senju himself could use that. The third Hokage even took a look at the forbidden scroll for that genjutsu, only to say no one else should even attempt it. That it was impossible!"

"Not impossible." Kakashi spun around, but as he knew there would be, no one was there. He kept turning, body tensed to react even as Naruto kept talking. It sounded like the boy was moving all over the place. "There was a footnote. Now, normal genjutsu works by affecting the mind and senses, and depending on which you're using it can depend on your imagination. However this one is very specific. Anyone can potentially use it if they have enough chakra control or chakra. Here's the trick: to create suck a complete darkness, one must have experienced such a total darkness. Where sight is non-existent. Only then can the user blind their opponent while being able to see, even through the darkness."

"What? When did the Second Hokage experience that? And when did you for that matter?"

"It didn't say when it happened to him or how. Just mentioned the condition. As for me… well, that's a secret."

"Naruto-"

"Sorry sensei. You wanted me to show you what I've got, and here it goes!" Before Kakashi could reply, he suddenly felt a foot slam into his shoulder. Knocked off balance, he had barely righted himself before a fist slammed into his stomach. Kakashi then lean back, feeling as an elbow barely missed his face. For the next fifteen minutes he ducked, weaved, and dodged as what must have been a large number of clones kept an assault going almost nonstop. Every now and then he got a grip on one and gave a solid hit, dispelling it, but there seemed to be no end to them. He was only just able to keep from being overwhelmed since his other four senses were sharp enough.

_Incredible. His skill isn't high, but by removing a major sense and using mass amounts of clones he's actually keeping his advantage over me. He's not even going for a bell, just testing himself against me. It's quite impressive really… damn it, even the Sharingan can't see in this. I can't believe a Genin made me reveal it at that. I have no choice but to retreat._

Knocking a clone back, Kakashi tensed his knees and then leap hard, soon soaring out of the darkness. As he fell back to earth he could see the genjutsu had formed an entire dome around the two of them. He heard a number of poofs, and then the darkness started to recede, till Naruto was finally visible. It was impressive. Naruto seemed able to keep the genjutsu up until the very end, even making it seem like the darkness was sucking back into his sleeves and hands…

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Naruto was grinning as the darkness began to recede. He was lucky Kakashi hadn't tried to dispel the initial genjutsu to mask his words. The Jonin had been so shocked by Naruto calling out the name of the Nidaime's famous genjutsu that apparently he hadn't noticed that Naruto had given off no chakra as the darkness had spread. It had worked perfectly, the Darkness Naruto let loose forming a perfect dome of sightlessness around the older man. He was also lucky such a footnote actually existed under the jutsu in the scroll. Kakashi had been shocked, that was for sure. And the actual fight inside of the dome had gone pretty well too. He hoped the Jonin really did have a plan concerning Sasuke and Sakura. Despite showing he understood the point of the test and that he had skill to work with, it meant nothing if the others couldn't pass. Naruto grinned as he finished pulling the Darkness back, watching Kakashi pant slightly.

Oh yes, he was very lucky.

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Damn his luck!

Naruto sighed as Kakashi tightened the ropes strapping him to the post. His sensei's bright idea had been to put the other two in a situation where the true purpose of the exam was revealed, and then they were unknowingly given a second chance. Kakashi rarely did this apparently, and the few teams that got the chance had never passed. Realistically the whole thing seemed sound… Naruto just wished he didn't have to be tied up.

"Well, that was an interesting test. But now that it's all over, I think I know what's what." Kakashi looked around, noticing Sakura still moping over being knocked out for so long by just one genjutsu, and Sasuke sulking at having been stuck buried up to his neck for so long before Kakashi came to dig him out. "Naruto is going to have to go back to the academy." Sakura's face turned sympathetic for a moment, before it brightened at the thought of Sasuke and her working together. Sasuke's face turned to a grin. He knew he would pass. He was an Uchiha after all, and they didn't fail… "As for you two…I'm dropping you from this program altogether!" Sakura gasped, completely mystified by the sudden horrible news. Sasuke's feelings were even more obvious as he suddenly rushed at their sensei in a fit of rage. The next second, Kakashi had the boy on his stomach, arms pinned to his back.

"Neither of you truly got the point of this test. Naruto however was able to do so. Naruto, mind telling them what it was?"

"Teamwork. The point was to work together."

"Exactly. Now think you two, why are ninja put into multiple person squads? It's so they will work together, each individual's skills put together to achieve success. It's always been that way. The point here was to look 'underneath the underneath', to see the true purpose and work together. But neither of you showed any decision to do so. Sasuke, you completely went on your own, without any help or backup and even verbally disregarded both Sakura and Naruto, considering them useless. Sakura, you were so focused on Sasuke that you didn't even try to make an attempt for a bell. And when Naruto suggested teaming up to get the bells, you actually accused him of stealing from Sasuke, as if he shouldn't even have a chance for a bell. You never considered the chance he was honestly just trying to work with you. What, did you think Sasuke would have just given you a bell if he had succeeded?"

"Well…"

"Naruto was the only one that understood teamwork was key. Iruka has mentioned it to your class all year, so apparently you weren't paying attention at those parts. Our ability to work together is what makes Leaf shinobi great. The only reason Naruto came at me later on his own was he recognized you two would be unwilling to work with him. For someone that was only in the middle of the class he's proven a good deal of maturity and insight."

"So… I'm the one tied up, why?"

"Huh? Oh, just felt like it I suppose." Kakashi's eye then lost its joking manner as he became serious once more, and he turned to a large engraved rock in the clearing that Sasuke and Sakura had noticed before, but hadn't gone to look at. "That rock… all of our fallen heroes have had their names carved into it. A reminder of the work and sacrifice they gave…and as a team, not as individuals. If you two can't understand that, then you have no place as shinobi… alright, here's what we're going to do. I'll give you both 10 minutes to eat, and then we'll try this again. But if either of you give ANY food to Naruto, all three of you will be dropped from the program. Now, hurry up and eat."

Kakashi Shushined away, leaving two awed youths and once faking a look of awe. Naruto smirked inwardly: the man could definitely give a speech, if nothing else. He had acted much grander than what was described in the plan. He noticed the others had grabbed their lunches and were staring at the food inside. Suddenly, Sakura grabbed a bite of food and held it up to Naruto's mouth, the chopsticks held tightly in her hand.

"Huh? Sakura, you heard him. I don't mind going hungry. I don't want you guys to fail or anything…"

"Look Naruto, it'll be harder if we're fighting on a full stomach and you're not. Just eat, and we'll all work together next time… and for what it's worth, I'm really sorry about before." Sasuke, stared at Sakura for a moment, and then grabbed a piece and held it up as well.

"Yeah, eat up…don't want you dragging us back now, do we?" Naruto chuckled, and was leaning forward to take a bite when Kakashi appeared again. His visible eye look absolutely livid. The sky above them suddenly seemed to darken and cloud up as if matching his rage, and a howling wind picked up. When he spoke, it seemed the angry booming of a roar of thunder.

"I TOLD you two not too feed him… are you ready for the consequences?" Sakura shivered slightly from what seemed to be a horrible killer intent, and then gulped and slowly stood, afraid but resolute.

"Y-Yes…Yes! We're… we're a team! We'll pass or fail together, and you can't say otherwise, Jonin or not!" Sasuke stood as well, and while silent he looked just as resolved, though with a touch of anger and having to give up being a shinobi…

"Very well then…congratulations, you all pass!" Suddenly his eye turned up once more, and the skies seemed to clear as the wind died down. Sakura and Sasuke looked around, mystified by the weather. Kakashi just chuckled at their reaction. "Genjutsu, remember? You guys really need to keep looking for it. But seriously… I'm proud. You know, I've never passed a single team before this, even though some had very talented students on them. It's because all of them followed my orders to the letter, forsaking teamwork without a second thought. The few that I gave this second chance to? They failed as well. They failed to recognize a very important lesson, one I want you all too forever remember… those who break the rules are trash…but those that forsake their teammates are worse than trash." He eyed them all for a moment, and then smiled once more. "Well, that's it then. We are now officially Team Seven. Report tomorrow to the Hokage Tower at 7 and we'll pick up our first mission. I'm very proud of you all." He watched Sasuke start to walk off in what seemed to be deep though. Maybe he was starting to get to the loner after all…though he winced as Sakura followed him like a lovesick puppy, her seriousness from before apparently gone. He sighed, and then turned only to smile at a mass of tangled ropes below the post, and an ever so slightly annoyed Naruto standing over them. "Not bad. I wasn't really concentrating, but even still I didn't even hear you move."

"Ha ha. One might think you were testing me by making those ropes so tight. I'm just glad your little plan worked. It would have been a pain to redo the academy, or whatever would have been necessary to finally join a team."

"True. This really does save me a headache as well… Naruto, you do realize I still want to know about how you can you that genjutsu, right?" Naruto frowned, seemingly arguing with himself. "Does it concern the nine-tailed fox? If it does then it's a serious matter Naruto, and-"

"You think I don't know that? I'm not an idiot Kakashi-sensei, my academy record is proof of that. Look, I'm a bit tired, so I'm gonna head on home." Naruto turned and started to leave, when he found Kakashi's hand gripping his shoulder softly. He turned, staring up at the older man's lone visible eye.

"Naruto, tell me… what do you want? You're going to be a ninja now, and one of the things a ninja needs is something or someone to work to or for. Sasuke unfortunately has his vengeance, something I need to work on, and Sakura has Sasuke… what do you have?" Naruto looked up, seemingly contemplating the inquiry, before finally shrugging his shoulders. The boy then shook Kakashi's hand off and took off, leaving the older man alone in the field to sigh to himself. "Naruto… you're a good kid, but if you have no true drive, then lack of potential notwithstanding I don't know how much I can really help you at all… well, I'll just have to work on Sasuke then. At least he has drive to go with his potential… damn, teaching a team looked so much easier when Minato-sensei did it. Sensei, Obito, Rin, are you watching me now?" The silver-haired Jonin looked upward, eye crinkling into a frown. "I want to help them all… but I'm just not good at this. I think all I can do is just help Sasuke, and hope the others show some potential…" Kakashi sighed once more, and then took off towards the Hokage Tower to report… missing the Neo-Shadow that popped up, having unknowingly watched the entire test. Shih shook his head disapprovingly before disappearing once more…

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_Excellent Shino. You are taking to the Biron Style quite quickly. Gala would have been proud. A few weeks like today and you'll probably end up converting to Biron worship before long. And I'm finally starting to make headway into integrating my power into you. Those last few strikes didn't even leave bruises!_

"Yes, unlike the 1,000 before them…" Shino winced. Though Shino was covered in many small bruises, his whole body felt like a massive one. Ozma had assured Shino that being human, having Ra-Seru power integrated would be a simple matter. Unfortunately, Ozma failed to take chakra into account, because somehow every attempt made to infuse his power into Shino had failed. Something about the bodies' makeup where chakra was concerned prevented Ozma from reinforcing Shino's body. And so Ozma had spent the last few hours trying to working out a new way of power integration while Shino had been practicing a few techniques on the very large boulder Ozma had made him bring to the meadow. Sadly for Shino, he had to shake off years of Taijutsu training, in which he had trained himself to avoid wasted movement and very open stance. Biron style seemed to rely on nothing **BUT** that, relying on sheer power to attack and defend oneself.

Shino wondered at the Biron monks that fought like this. Ozma had told Shino during training of how their order forbid the use of Seru, and how despite Ozma being different Gala had been excommunicated for bonding with Ozma, even though it was to save them all. Ozma had also mentioned how melee weapons were prevalent in this other world. To think that men did combat such as this, able to take bare blades against their skin like it was nothing, to shatter them even with pure power… Shino marveled at this different humanity that had such power.

_Right, sorry again about that. In any case, over the next week we'll have to go into the more mountainous regions around Konoha to train. Once we really get serious you're be running through stone pretty quickly. Now, let's check with Hinata, and if she's free we'll try and get you healed up. Can't show up to practice like this after all-_

_Hey everyone, guess who just passed their Genin exam._

Shino almost jumped slightly at the sudden intrusion of Naruto's voice in his head, and then smirked. None of them had really doubted it, despite the worries Naruto had spoken of beforehand. The blonde had a lucky streak nearly a mile long.

_Excellent. We knew you would succeed. Ozma send's his regards as well._

_Congratulation's Naruto-kun._

_Indeed. Your Heart and the power of Youth flowing within you no doubt led to such a victory._

_Riiiight… anyway, I'll tell you all about it tonight. We're getting our first mission tomorrow, so we can't stay as long. Oh, Shino, before I forget. Have we made any headway into finding a spot?_

_Negative. We've checked virtually every area on the Elemental continent._

_Well we'll just keep checking then. I'm more worried about the Heartless I sent to track Akatsuki. It's been a few days now and they still aren't back. Either something happened or these guys are travelling real slowly back to their base…_

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"Hey Itachi, can't we speed this up? It'll be a few weeks before we get back to base at this rate."

"Pein made no requirement for us to hurry Kisame. I do not feel like hurrying back there so deal with it." The shark-like shinobi sighed, looking around at the town they were passing through. It wasn't even that they we going slowly. But this town was famous for its meat production. They were passing through a section of the town where the butcher's took residence, and as Kisame looked around he couldn't help but fidget. There was so much tasty meat hanging around… but that was inconsequential to the fact that it seemed like every butcher was chopping up raw meat right then. Kami… there was so much fresh blood dripping…

"Save your hunger Kisame. We are very close, but these last few years have kept the entire continent on a higher alert. We do not need any more attention at this point." Kisame shivered. It wasn't even the sense in that statement that stayed him. It was that voice… it had always been that voice. How it was forever emotionless, Kisame never knew. It was just one weird mystery about Itachi Uchiha he'd never get. And like how the pale man walking next to him was still alive, when he'd never actually seen Itachi eat or drink anything…

"Fine, fine. Not like the Eight-Tails is gonna get out of this special sealing scroll Leader-sama made for us. Really though, we've gotta stop for something to eat soon, or at least some sake. You're too uptight, you know that Itachi. No offense, but sometimes it seems like you're not even human."

It would be some weeks before Kisame discovered that there was a certain truth to that statement.

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And as both members of Akatsuki continued on, neither could sense the Search Ghosts materializing every so often underground, tracking the two of them with their virtually all-seeing eyes…

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(_**A Week later…**_)

"So that's the mission really. We'll be able to get back from Wave in a week or so. And I'll take a good look around while I'm there. It's not a terrible place really, makes me wonder why we never considered it for out project." Naruto sighed, and then looked down to smirk as Hinata moaned softly. His hands continued to dig into her shoulders, slowly digging out the few knots to found within. While Kurenai's training was nothing for a ninja of her caliber, Kiba had been sneaking glances- yet again- and the young Hyuuga had gotten tense from restraining the urge to let some frustration out on him. Really, the genjutsu she used to conceal her older form looked so young, and lacked anything really in the upper or lower areas, so what was Kiba making his perverted thoughts into? The thought was broken though as Naruto found a very tight knot, and she suddenly seemed to melt back against her love.

"It's because it's a hotspot right now." Lee looked up from where he's been sharpening a new kunai, wanting it to be perfect. "That Gato businessman, he's making it a most un-Youthful place to operate in. From what we've gathered, it's become a very rundown place, and his men pretty much infest it since he controls the entire island."

"Yeah. I mean, if they had any cheap way to get to the mainland…" Naruto paused, and then literally slapped his face. "Crap…why didn't I see that before? I mean, we're protecting a BRIDGE builder of all things… Tazuna is pulling a fast one on us."

"Oh?"

"Think about it. If he's working on a bridge to connect Wave to the mainland, it would break the grip Gato has. But it's a poor place, so they can't really hire the men necessary to deal with a danger like Gato is… they must be very desperate."

"Especially with the newly hired help." They all turned to Shino, who had been quiet so far in trying to rest. His sessions with Ozma, while productive, had become tiring, and in turn the bug-eyed boy had been speaking a bit less lately.

"What do you mean? What hired help?... Does this have anything to do with the Search Ghosts I lent you about a week ago?"

"Indeed. I went out of the village on my own for a bit, and while undercover at a tavern I discovered an interesting bit of news concerning Gato. He's been hiring more mercenaries lately. No shinobi… except for three."

"Oh? Anyone important? We've put away a lot of the Bingo Book as it is, along with Akatsuki." Hinata grinned, the statement giving her a rush of satisfaction.

"The Demon Brothers, Gouzu and Meizu… and their boss, Zabuza Momochi." That got everyone's attention. While the first two were minor names, Zabuza of the Mist's Seven Swordsmen was quite famous. Despite all of their efforts, Shadow had been unable to locate the always seeming to miss him by mere days. Naruto's eyes widened as a grin captured his features.

"Oh, this is perfect. Normally we could get a nice price for him… but thanks to our latest recruit we could get him on our side as well. Maybe the Demon Brothers as well… heh, this is going to be interesting. Alright. Everyone scatter and then head home. I need to get ready for this mission. Shino, tomorrow go and talk to our new friend and find out everything you can on Zabuza. The more the better, not matter how trivial."

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(_**The next day…**_)

"Alright, let's get a move on!" Tazuna shook his head and resisted the urge to take a swig of sake. The blonde wasn't overly loud, but he was too damn cheery for nine in the morning. No one should ever be that happy… the thought suddenly seemed to shake Tazuna, and he actually shivered, disgusted with himself.

_Is this what I'm down to? Has it been so long since I was truly happy or hopeful that I'm scorning it in someone else? Geez… this is why I have to finish that bridge. Inari… I can't let him end up like me, or get any worse than he already is... hehe, well I have to admit, the blonde is infectious. He's even got me a little more fired up for this trip._

Meanwhile, Naruto was lazily twirling an old bronze spear out in front of him, finding the walk to really be that boring so far. He'd recently started bringing the cheap thing to practice, and while Kakashi had been surprised he'd only reminded Naruto not to let his other skills wane. Sasuke hadn't given it much of a though, and Sakura only a little more. The blonde sighed, wishing he could hold Dragon Spike, or at least his old spear. Having to hide something that nice by using this piece of junk really sucked.

Naruto took a look around, noticing Kakashi chatting up Tazuna and Sakura failing to do so with Sasuke-not from a lack of trying though- before returning to his own private thoughts.

_Well, if he's really even half as rich as rumors go, Gato probably knows Tazuna hired ninja, and will try to take the old man out before we reach wave… Damn it Shino, hurry up will you. I need that information NOW._

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Shino hurried along the treetops on a path farther out from the village, which after some time led to a small rocky outcropping seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Landing in front of it, he reached out to push against a small section… and grinned as part of the rock slid aside. It closed quickly behind Shino as he descended a spiraling staircase, light shining up from the bottom. It was a backup meeting place where they stored food and supplies. They even had living quarters if needed… and right now one of them was occupied.

As Shino reached the bottom, his eyes looked out upon a lit, large atrium that connected to the other rooms. In the center of it was a single man, who seemed to be doubled over and panting profusely. Shino guessed he'd been training for some time now.

"It is not wise to over-exert yourself." The figure turned quickly, though he relaxed when he saw Shino. "We have need of information from you… concerning Zabuza Momochi."

"Zabuza?" The man frowned, and what Shino could have sworn was a growl seemed to rise up from the older man's throat. "So, you want to get him to join up with you too huh? Fine, but I doubt you'll get far. He can be headstrong sometimes. And I won't promise to play nice."

"That is acceptable. Hopefully you two can work your differences out…otherwise you'll be a hazard to our group's stability, and I might have to exterminate you." The older man seemed stunned, almost dropping his weapons in surprise.

"Heh, didn't expect that to come from you. That Lee guy maybe… alright. I'll try at least. It's the least I can do…after what the four of you did for him." He looked over to an open door, and his eyes seemed to settle on a young boy lying asleep on a bed. His voice seemed to soften, filled with emotion. "He's running around on his own now, even jumping… never thought I'd see the day he could even walk. After how you guys helped him, especially that girl and her medical jutsu… well, I can't thank you enough. For everything you did for Ranmaru…"

"It was no trouble at all, Raiga."

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And very far away, in a base distant even from the Land of Rice, Kimimaro opened a large steel door. The occupant inside looked up fearfully, tensing, before recognizing Kimimaro. At once he calmed down, and the huge, mutated looking claw his right hand had become returned to normal.

"It is time to go. Lord Orochimaru has need of us all. We must return to Otogakure within a week's end." Despite the seriousness of the situation, despite the fact that Suigetsu, Karin, and the Sound Four were probably becoming impatient outside, Kimimaro allowed himself a small smile. At the large figure that rose from his place in a corner of the cell. The one he owed so much to. The one that even now mirrored Kimimaro's look of peace and happiness.

"Kimimaro…"

"Jugo…"

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Within the literal Hell of a different dimension, a figure stirred impatiently. Only a week… one week left to finish absorbing the soul of its guardian… and then it would be free.

Nightmares didn't end that easily after all…

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The Keyblades continued on their journey, able to sense that the destination given to them by their last weilder, King Mickey, was only a bare week away...

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And watching all of this simultaneously were two Supreme Gods.

"Soon Brother?"

"Yes Kami. If we timed everything right, it'll be only a week before this all gets VERY interesting…"

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_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: Man Shih, Zabuza of the Seven Swordsmen. Now that's a find if there ever was one. Think he can be convinced?_

_Shih:…_

_Naruto: Yeah, it probably will be that tough. Kinda harsh on the language their though, aren't ya?_

_Naruto: Still, it doesn't matter. Whether we get him to join or not, I need to find a way to fight him one on one. It'll be a true test for Dragon Spike…Kami; my hearts is racing just thinking about it!_

_Next Time: Of Devils and Deadly Mist. It's going to be your first true Shinobi opponent Naruto!_

_Naruto: That's weird. No one ever said anything about Zabuza having a Kunoichi travelling with him…_

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_**(1):**_ For those of you who played Legaia, I know Biron style isn't exactly like all that. I don't own Legaia either by the way. Anyway, the idea here is that Biron style is supposed to be like Broly fighting in DBZ: Shino will have so much power to reinforce his body with that any ordinary moves or weapons won't even face or scratch him. He'll just happen to have any actual fighting style as compared to Broly. While this might seem overpowered, keep in mind that he can be defeated by very strong opponents. Akatsuki members for example…

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Wow. I really thought it would take a lot longer to bust this out. Glad I was wrong? I know I am. Not as long as the last chapter, but it had a major fight scene and a lot of philosophical thought to it so… what can you do?

I'm also kind of getting distracted recently. To the point where it took me 3 weeks to work out how I wanted to type the bell test, which was kind of the point of this damn chapter. You see, I keep getting interrupted by thought about my next stories; even those are obviously far off. My MO is going to be taking crossover and working them from an original angle, like with this story. I just keep thinking of different things.

IMPORTANT: When I get to the last chapter or the epilogue, I'll be telling you all the few crossover ideas it's been narrowed down to and you'll vote. Not until then.

From now on, I'll be referring to Itachi as Shih unless it's for a special reason. He considers himself to be Shih now, if his whole section in the monsters chapter wasn't a big enough hint. I'm actually surprised I didn't get lots of hate-mail from Itachi fangirls about killing him, or love mail over making him this ridiculously cute and kid-like Shadow Heartless when he wasn't fighting. Go figure.

Well, I gotta take a break and then get started the next chapter. It might be shorter if I decide making it a two-parter will be better than one long one, so don't get mad.

And remember: wordy, serious reviews. Not your weird opinions on the manga, or my philosophical ideas, but actual reviews on my direction and style, etc. I'm counting on you all to help me keep this going smoothly.

Ja ne!


	13. Of Devils and Deadly Mist

DOOOON'T STOP, REVIEEEEWI- I mean BELIEEEVIN'….

Meh, couldn't help myself.

Well, here's another chapter. I really like how this story is progressing so far, and it's going better than I expected.

For those who are a bit confused by Raiga at the end of the last chapter: if you remember the town he takes over in the anime, Katabame, it was mentioned early on in chapter 10. In my story he took over the town earlier than normal. During the second year of my time skip actually. Shino and Lee, undercover as Shadow, went in and despite a hard fight managed to defeat Raiga even with Ranmaru helping the swordsman. They then brought the two back to their safe house, and Hinata healed Ranmaru's legs. He and Raiga thereafter ended up joining up with Shadow, and are working for them now. I had actually planned to make a filler chapter about this incident, but decided to stay focused on the main story so none of you would get pissed off at me.

_**IMPORTANT: **_I now finally have a beta, the great Narai Moroha. He also has come up with the new names for Darkness Vision and Nothingness Vision, which are Konmeigan and Kyomugan respectively.

I also need a name for Itachi's Nobody, since I'm not that creative. You know the drill: anagram of original name plus an x. I'll use the one that sounds coolest. To qualify, you have to remember to include an explanation of how it's pronounced.

I now have it narrowed down to three major ideas for the next story after I finally finish this one someday. Once I finish the last chapter, you'll know.

So, no more delayeth. Verily, I say now unto thee…

Let us get-eth it on-eth!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Thirteen**

_**Of Devils and Deadly Mist. It's going to be your first true Shinobi opponent Naruto!**_

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"Hey kid, can I ask ya something?" Naruto turned and began walking backwards as he looked at Tazuna. Except for some sporadic talks with Kakashi, the old man had been silent throughout the trip so far, so the fact that Tazuna was addressing someone besides Kakashi caused everyone's heads to turn to the bridge builder. "What's with the spear? You've been twirling that bronze piece of junk around since we left the village, and it's starting to get on my nerves. Besides, spears are for samurai and thugs. I thought you all were ninja…"

"There's nothing unusual about a shinobi using a weapon besides kunai or shuriken. We've got sword users after all. Everyone else just thinks of those weapons when they think of ninja. And don't hate my spear: it might save your life one day."

"Yeah right." Tazuna chuckled before taking another swig from the bottle that hadn't left his hand the whole day. "A shrimp like you? If anyone is gonna save the day or anything it'll be your sensei. You really think you're any good with that junk?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, before setting the spear on the ground vertically, the point raised to the sky. He leaned against it in almost a lazy manner, an amused smirk on his face.

"Huh… those are bold words bridge builder-san, coming from a guy that hired us to keep bandits off his back-"

"Naruto! Stop being a pest! You should be respectful, like Sasuke!" Sakura turned to Sasuke, expecting praise of some sort for what she felt was necessary action to get Naruto to shut up, but Sasuke just kept walking as if nothing had happened. The brooding boy was lost in his own world. To him, this screeching girl and average Genin loser were below him… so, what better response than to treat them as such? He simply walked on, automatically navigating around a small puddle in the middle of the road… one that he didn't notice Kakashi give a second glance too.

Naruto sighed, and kept leaning on his spear as the others passed before he finally straightened up and started walking, with only Kakashi behind him now. Maybe he'd get some decent conversation from the masked Jonin… or maybe whoever was using that puddle as cover would pop out.

As if summoned by his thoughts, a figure wreathed in black ragged cloak and a horned silver mask arose from the puddle, silent as a wraith. A second figure with a similar mask and outfit then burst from the puddle into the air, and as the traveling group turned they noticed a chain connected to very large clawed gauntlets. A second glance showed that the entire chain was made of connected shuriken. And as the second figure landed, the party noticed a dire fact- the chain was wrapped round Kakashi.

"What the-" Before Kakashi could say another word, the chain seemed to tighten, and then a moment later Sakura screamed as Kakashi was torn to bloody ribbons, spattering the ground where he'd stood. The chain seemed to retract and tighten, once more ready to claim a victim. The two attackers stared at the group with a very pleased look in their eyes.

"One down… heh, not even a fight, and he was the toughest. The old man is a goner…" They rushed forward, the chain glinting in a deadly fashion, not unlike their clawed weapons and their eyes…

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Naruto's mind whirled. He recognized Gouzu and Meizu, the Demon Brothers, from the bingo book. They had just apparently torn Kakashi to pieces, but he knew it was probably a kawamiri, and was impressed the remains hadn't puffed away into a log yet. One could say whatever they wanted, but the man was definitely skilled. Still, he was most likely either about to rejoin the fight, or watching from the trees to see how they would react.

He couldn't just go all out without revealing anything, and he obviously couldn't try to talk them over considering the situation. Damn. He'd just have to knock them out then, and worry about just getting Zabuza. What to do, what to do… Naruto then noticed that the chain between the looked very sturdy, and grinned. Noting Sasuke tensing in preparation to move, Naruto started running at an odd angle to the side of the two attackers. His arm cocked back, and as the Demon Brothers passed a tree close to the group Naruto let the bronze spear fly…

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The world of shinobi is, has always been, and always will be an incredible place. Always there are new jutsu being discovered that seem to defy natural laws. And yet there are times when said laws simply can't be over-run, even by professional shinobi.

As the spear sailed through the air, it careened toward the hole in one of the shuriken in the chain. The spear blade was just small enough that it only caught the chain on the wide end of the blade… but that was enough to catch the sturdy chain and drag it forward. The spear pierced the tree, and the momentum from the overly strong throw actually shattered the shaft in multiple places and heavily cracked the spear head, effectively making the weapon useless.

Fortunately, both Gouzu and Meizu had been taken by complete surprise by the whole thing, and despite being trained Chunin they were shocked into numbness for a quick moment by the random assault… just as the spear caught the chain and dragged it hard. This action had the logical reaction of dragging the chain on both ends, pulling both of the non-resistant missing nin towards the tree… at intersecting angles. The speed at which they had been pulled, combined with the durability of their skulls, had only one inevitable conclusion: both men's heads slammed into each other silly and they lost consciousness.

Truly, when one knows how to apply them, the laws of nature can sometimes be more deadly than any jutsu or blade…

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Kakashi actually had to work a bit to conceal the thoughtful look his lone visible eye was practically begging to give to the situation. He had come out of the woods right after the Demon Brothers had been knocked out, reassuring Sakura and Tazuna that he was alive and uninjured. Sasuke only seemed mildly relived… probably glad the man who was supposed to be training him wasn't dead. Kakashi still had to try and make headway with the boy.

Naruto had gone over to the remnants of his spear, and seemed to be giving it a depressed once over, as if somehow the action would magically restore the weapon to a working condition. Kakashi was actually impressed. The plan itself wasn't necessarily unsound, and Naruto did have a good amount of strength to initiate such a plan-how much was thanks to the Fox?- but the few men he'd ever known that used spears had all commented on how hitting a moving target in midair like that was difficult.

In other words, Naruto had been using that spear longer than a week.

Still, while Kakashi was surprised by the discovery, it didn't mean too much. The blonde probably had been working on it in secret as a surprise. Naruto wasn't particularly skilled after all. Kakashi had only given the blonde a consolatory pat on the shoulder, assuring the blonde that there were other places in Konoha where he could procure a replacement, before her turned back to Tazuna with a harsh glare in his visible eye…

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Some minutes later, the group continued along the path to where they were set to meet a man who would row them to the land of Waves. After a few minutes of hot grilling, Tazuna had broken down and told the truth. How Gato's business was a front for illegal activity. How he had a chokehold on the island and how the bridge was its only hope. And how he had lied about the mission because of a lack of funds.

Kakashi had opted to back off. Return to Konoha with the Demon Brothers in tow and have a more prepared team handle the mission. If these two Chunin failed, then a Jonin would most likely come next. He'd have to fight while protecting not just the client but the entire team. It had seemed so easy. Tazuna was in no position to argue, and Sakura smartly pointed out the team's lack of training for such a situation. Sasuke seemed to not give much care to what happened either way.

Unfortunately, Naruto seemed dead set on sticking the course, giving a small bit on how they couldn't just turn the mission down just because something changed, pointing out that it happened regularly as shinobi… something that, he reminded them, Kakashi had said the day of their test.

Kakashi had sworn inwardly. The blonde actually gave a good argument… and it worked. Sasuke suddenly seemed to pick a side, apparently not wanting to opt out of it if Naruto wasn't and look weaker because of it. And once Sasuke chose that side Sakura, shaking a bit at the thought of the serious danger present, switched sides, proving that 'follow like a lovesick puppy' really could be applied to her.

Kakashi sighed. He had the authority here… but with the entire team against him, bringing them back would probably involve force. Not to mention they'd probably resent him for it for a while. Childish, but understandable. Despite his better judgment screaming at him, Kakashi had chosen in the end to continue the mission, after sending a summon nin dog back to Konoha to give the location of the restrained Gouzu and Meizu.

The group was more alert now, and talking had become sparse. That was really the main reason why no one ended up interrupting Naruto as he held a private conversation with several individuals through the Heartless seal under his thick shirt. Thankfully none of them were busy…

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… _and so I had to knock them out. Sorry about that._

_It is inconsequential. While they would have made a satisfying additional benefit, it merely means that dealing with Zabuza Momochi will be a much easier undertaking._

_Right. And we were right about Tazuna. The Land of Waves can't even afford to cover the cost of a team of Chunin, much less the Jonin that would handle this. We're still going on though. And if the Demon Brothers were here, that means Zabuza can't be far. Either we'll see him once we get to the Land of Waves, or to the incomplete bridge itself. Anyway, Shino, what do you have on Zabuza?_

_He is rather the ruthless shinobi, and his proficiency with his sword, the bluntly named _Decapitating Carving Knife_, is most definitely that of a man who was a component of the Mist's Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Most likely, Zabuza will initiate any assault by blanketing the vicinity with the __**Hidden Mist **__jutsu and then employ the __**Silent Homicide Technique**__. Details in the Bingo Book, rumors, and Raiga's consultation are hazy beyond that, though he has a repertoire of Water Jutsu. Raiga was not on the finest of conditions with him after all…_

_Right. Well, if I have to I'll knock them all out and claim it was water clones afterwards. I don't know, I'll think of something. Maybe that store of luck Lee keeps saying I have will work out._

_Just don't blow your cover or get killed. Shino is progressing rapidly under my training and I'd hate for him to have to stop and take over Shadow just because you got yourself killed._

_Oh, thank you Ozma. I'm so fucking honored by the words of comfort, oh great and mighty Ra-Seru. Your confidence and faith just rolls right off. Alright, that's it for now. I'll update you guys when something big happens._

_Farewell._

_Goodbye!_

_Jackass…_

…

…

_Okay, they're not listening anymore._

_Ok._

…_I love you._

_Kami, I love you too._

_How have you been?_

_Alright. I still keep wondering how Kiba's eyes go below my face sometimes. This Genjutsu gives me virtually nothing up top, and Kurenai herself hasn't noticed the illusion yet, and she's pretty much the best Genjutsu user the Leaf has. What the Hell is he seeing?_

_I stand by my earlier conviction. He can see through it at your chest level. It's a pervert thing… not like you don't have anything there to hide after all…_

Even though they were still working on being able to get more than just speech transmitted by the seals, Naruto grinned as he swore he could _feel_ his Hina-hime blushing…

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"You… you failed?!" Within a small forest outpost in Wave, Gato growled out his frustration. This damn nuisance with Tazuna was supposed to be handled already, but his people had just reported back that the first attempt had failed. "I shelled out a nice sum of cash for you guys, and already you've started to drop at the feet of these pissant Leaf Ninja? Kami, why am I even bothering with you scum? I should cut the contract right here and hire someone more reliable-" Gato unfortunately had to stop there for several reasons. The killing intent that the object of his anger was giving off was one… though primarily it was the giant blade that was suddenly being held dangerously close to his neck.

"Watch your tongue… or I'll rip it out. Gouzu and Meizu probably got careless. Their history of success get's to their heads sometimes. No matter. I'll simply go in person this time and deal with them myself. This blade will be the last thing they see… if they even see it coming at all." Gato gulped at that tone and stepped back nervously, reminded of how dangerous the individual before him was.

"A-Are you sure about that? Apparently one of those ninja guarding him is a Jonin. And now that those two failed they'll be expecting you. Do you really have enough skill to take on him and the team that's with him?" In response, the man on the couch only tightened his grip on the giant weapon.

"Who do you think you are dealing with, you little worm? There is no doubt. As long as your money is good, the old man will die, as well as this Jonin and his team if necessary. I'll slaughter them all if I have to."

"I AM Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist, after all…"

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"Alright, this is it. From here on out you're on your own." The group looked back to the man who had gotten them to the island by boat. It had been a long trip, since they couldn't use the boat's motor without attracting attention. During the long rowing Tazuna had gone into more detail about the nature of the situation, explaining everything about Gato. Other than that, the entire trip had taken place in an intense silence.

"Hey Tazuna, look at me for a second." The old man blinked in confusion before giving their guide a good long look. The younger man stared for a moment, and then smiled widely as he began to row away. "Good. When I tell people about how you were actually crazy enough to go up against Gato, I wanna be able to tell people accurately what you looked like…" The group sweat-dropped as the boat-man disappeared into the morning mist.

"Not very confident, was he old man? You'd think he'd have more faith in a shinobi squad." _Hehe, especially one with my Sasuke-kun!_

"He's not a pessimist, just a realist. Gato is as dangerous as I described him to be, if not more so. Anyone working for money could be after us, so really you could say he probably has his own private army of mercenaries, and who knows how many shinobi-"

"That is what we are going to be handling." Kakashi grinned under his mask as Tazuna turned to the formerly quiet Jonin; his visible eye closed and turned up in a smile. "I don't doubt it's going to get a bit dicey at some point, but I've gone through worse situations before. We'll be fine." Truly, he wasn't actually that sure. Those worse situations he'd mentioned usually involved other Jonin or ANBU to back him up. With a team of Genin to guard as well as the target? This would be very tricky. Well, nothing to do but keep walking then.

And so they walked.

And walked.

And walked.

And they would have continued to walk in a quite uncomfortable silence, save for the fact that after a while Naruto suddenly got one of those flashes of lucky intuition. Thankful that he was ahead of the others, Naruto cast a subtle genjutsu over his eyes to hide the instance that they turned bright yellow. A moment later, he let both it and his eyes fade.

_What the… it's not Zabuza. That looks like a Mist hunter-nin mask… but what's she…wait… yeah, it's a girl. Hard to tell with that face, but it is. But what's she doing hiding there… and with a rabbit?_

Unfortunately, as they got closer to said hidden mystery person, Sasuke and Kakashi felt the presence as well- and Sasuke acted. Reaching down, he quickly withdrew a shuriken and hurled it at the bush… only for a snow-white hare to scamper out, looking exceedingly terrified. Sasuke humphed, and as Sakura was caught deciding if she should scold Sasuke-kun for scaring the poor thing, Kakashi's mind was racing

_A white rabbit? But their fur changes to brown this time of year. It can't be wild then, probably kept indoors. So why-damn, replacement!_

And as he reached a conclusion (unknowingly the wrong one), Kakashi suddenly heard a loud whirring sound, like that of a blade hurled through the air at a rapid speed. He gave a shout of "Everyone get down, NOW!" and then grabbed Tazuna and hurled him to the floor. As the group ate dirt, an incredibly large sword passed through the air over their heads, whizzing quickly before embedding itself in a thick tree. As the group stood and turned to it, a tall figure suddenly appeared on the handle, back turned to them. The unknown shinobi's head turned. Sakura couldn't help but shiver. Those brown eyes… they seemed to stare at them all with hawk-like intensity and at the same time as if regarding the group as so much cattle.

"Well, I must say, your entrance was impressive as I've ever heard of it being… Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Mist. It's an honor." Kakashi's body tensed, hand twitching towards his kunai holster even as he kept his tone light. He noted the position of the others behind, and had started planning out how they could run while he faced the Jonin, when the former Mist Jonin gave a slightly muffled laugh from behind his mouth wraps.

"And for myself as well. Kakashi Hatake… the Copy ninja… the man of 1,000 jutsu… all that, and you're not as imposing as stories tell."

"Stories get exaggerated."

"Indeed. Well, I hate to end this nice little chat, but I have business with the old man. Nothing personal you see, just business. As a professional shinobi, I'm sure you've told others the same before you end them. So I'll just take him and be on my-"

"Unfortunately, we've been hired to take care of this old man. He's our business… which means in this case, you are too." Zabuza stared, before beginning to laugh again.

"Ha! Spunk. I love it. You just might be some fun Kakashi…" The tan missing nin grinned, before flashing his hands through seals. "**Ninja Art: Hidden Mist**…" Suddenly, the light morning mist around them, before barely a hindrance, suddenly intensified. It thickened quickly until it seemed to almost be like fog, Zabuza's form much harder to make out. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, before giving a sigh.

"If you really insist… I'll play this game." The silver-haired Jonin gripped his hiate and raised it up… revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan to the people in the clearing.

_What? Impossible! Itachi… he killed them all. He's not even an Uchiha, not of my blood. So how can he-_

"Well, I get the Sharingan already? Good. I'd hate to kill you before I get a decent workout…" Zabuza hopped off the massive blade, and as he fell he gripped the handle and ripped it effortlessly from the tree. He landed lightly on the ground before pointing the blade at the group… and as he did he let off a large burst of killing intent. He grinned under the bandages as the Genin team's faces turned to fear.

Well, almost all of them anyway. The blonde just seemed to be glaring. The little punk… he wouldn't be grinning long.

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Sasuke wanted to take a step back. Wanted to throw a kunai. Wanted to run, wanted to die… wanted to do something!

_Itachi was worse, he was a monster… still, this is the killing intent of a Jonin? Incredible. It's… I want to die, if only it will end!_

Sasuke reached down for a kunai, preparing to end it, when a small chuckle broke his revere. Not that of Zabuza… but of their Sensei, as he turned back to look at them.

"It's ok Sasuke… I won't let any of my friends die. I'll protect you with my life... all of you"

"Sure about that?" The group turned, and Sakura let out an involuntary gasp; Zabuza was gone from his original spot, and suddenly was standing behind the group, blade raised above his head to come crashing down on Tazuna. As the giant sword descended, Kakashi was suddenly there, blocking it with kunai in hand. The group stepped back, marveling at the speed at which they were moving. The two Jonin struggled against one another for a moment, before Kakashi noticed Tazuna had moved back. With a grin, he ducked under the blade, letting it crash to the earth… and letting his kunai bury itself in Zabuza's stomach. He heard Sakura cheer behind him, but it died in her throat as the body suddenly turned to water.

"**Mizu Bushin**…" Kakashi's eyes widened as he turned and saw Zabuza standing behind him. The assassin's eyes gleamed at Kakashi's surprised look as the blade came down, carving the leaf nin in two. "Game over!" Unfortunately for Zabuza, the two halves of Kakashi suddenly turned to water as well. He suddenly felt something pointed to his back, and sighed as he turned to see Kakashi standing there. "Figures. You didn't even have to use your special eye, did you? 1,000 jutsu or not, something that simple was bound to be in your arsenal…" Zabuza suddenly seemed to seize up, before turning to water. Kakashi looked around, before spotting Zabuza standing out on a large lake of water in the clearing. "Well? Come on you monkey of a ninja, show me what you can really do!"

Kakashi grimaced. Zabuza was good. Really good. He had to end it before any high power jutsu started coming out and risked the safety of the others. He'd have to eliminate Zabuza here and now. Giving his team a quick glance over- was Naruto actually looking calm in all of this? No, just his imagination- Kakashi Shushined forward, slicing a kunai down at Zabuza. The former Mist nin seemed to give way to the steel weapon before turning to water, the liquid falling down to join the small lake.

"What, nothing new Zabuza?"

"Oh, Kakashi. I'm a ninja… there's always something new." Suddenly, Zabuza was before Kakashi, and the 'cycloptic' ninja could swear he could see Zabuza smiling behind that mask as he held his hands in the last of a set of seals.

"**Water Style: Water Prison!**"

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise, but before he could even tense up to move, water suddenly seemed to burst from the lake, engulfing him in a complete sphere. He struggled, but to no avail- he could only stare in horror as Zabuza held a hand into the bubble.

_No! Damn it, I got so worried about the group that I let him lead me right into this trap. Kuso…_

"That's it… that's it? The legendary Sharingan Kakashi, getting caught so easily? Tch, you Leaf ninja are overestimated. Our academy students wouldn't have fallen for this. Of course," Zabuza turned to the group, eyes glinting wickedly. "these little maggots never really had an academy experience, did they? At least not compared to how the Mist used to do it."

"What do you mean?" Sakura gulped, her own curiosity having momentarily overcome her sheer terror.

"In case you've never heard it, my old village's nickname used to be the Bloody Mist. Civilians think it's from all the bloodline purges they enacted all those years ago… but really, it's because of how we made students graduate. They spent all that time at the academy in pairs, getting to know one another, working together to improve their skills as shinobi in training. They built their whole dreams on each other. And then the big day would come, the academy test. They'd step up, eyes shining in anticipation… and then, they'd be told the test: to slay one another…"

"What?! That's crazy?!" Sakura stepped back in disgust and fear, actually a little nauseated at the thought. Thankfully, the scenarios of such a thing were broken by the water-muffled voice of her sensei.

"Only partly. True, it reduces the number of possible shinobi that reach Genin, but you weed out all those that won't be able to hack it. And you ensure that should any of them ever turn rouge, their teammates won't hesitate to bring them down. It was brutal yet effective, and the only reason they stopped it was an incident over 15 years ago…"

"Heh, you've heard of that? Most people don't even know why we stopped, only that we did." Kakashi only kept talking to the Genin, his eyes trained on the former Mist shinobi.

"One year, a young boy came to the test that wasn't even an academy student… and proceeded to massacre all one hundred of the possible students that year. Rumor has it that once he brought their number down to fifty, the rest all teamed up against him at once… he still slaughtered them all anyway… well, am I right Zabuza?"

"The last forty actually. They were quite a slow bunch." Zabuza grinned, gripping the handle of his blade as he looked out at the Genin. "Much like your brats. They still haven't run yet… are they trying to act brave, playing shinobi like that? Bah. You runts… you're a disgrace to those hiate. When you get in my bingo book, then you're shinobi, and not a moment sooner. But don't worry about getting into it... you're about to die, so you won't ever need to try anyway!" Zabuza began to laugh as another water clone suddenly rose next to him, tightly gripping its blade.

"All of you run while you can! Zabuza can't move from this spot while this jutsu is active, and water clones can't go very far from the original. Take Tazuna and get him to safety!" The three Genin stared at him for a moment. Sasuke looked torn between what was probably good advice and the urge to actually fight. Running was disgraceful for an Uchiha after all. Sakura was shivering, wanting to see her Sasuke-kun flee before she did so she'd be justified. And Naruto… he only looked back and forth from Kakashi to Zabuza, over and over, until he chuckled a bit and stepped forward. "Naruto, don't be a fool! None of you can stand against him. Get Tazuna to safety, complete this mission!"

"And what happened to 'those who forsake their teammates are worse than trash'?" Naruto grinned at the stunned look in Kakashi's eyes. "Leaf nin don't abandon teammates… not now, not ever." Naruto then reached into his shuriken holder, before removing an oddly shaped object. A second later, he had flicked it out into a large fuma shuriken. "Hey, eyebrow-less freak! Let's get wild!" Naruto the cocked his arm back and hurled the bladed weapon at Zabuza. The older nin's eyes widened, before he grinned under the bandages and bent back, the weapon passing over him harmlessly. He came back up, chuckling as he motioned the water clone to move forward.

"Not bad runt, but it'll take more than that from a maggot like-" Zabuza suddenly stopped as he heard a small poofing sound behind him. Turning his head, he almost gasped as he saw… the runt?! His head swiveled quickly. Yup, two of them! But then, the one with the group suddenly poofed away… fuck, it had been a shadow clone. When had the runt done that?!

Naruto then took out a handful of shuriken and flung them mid-flight in the direction of both Zabuza and his clone. At the same time Sasuke, who was closer than the clone had been when it had finally thrown said weapons, took the initiative and tossed two handfuls of kunai. The air suddenly sang with the whistling of air over steel.

Zabuza snarled, but leapt away in time to keep from becoming a pincushion. Kakashi was freed, and dropped to the water's surface as the weapons caught the water clone in a deadly crossfire, shredding it into a puddle. The older Leaf nin stood and turned to smile at Naruto, who was now bobbing in the water.

"Good work Naruto. And you too Sasuke. Now…" He turned back to Zabuza, Sharingan eye glaring almost as much as his natural one. "We have a fight to finish…"

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Naruto sighed from where he was treading water as he watched the outcome of the fight. It had actually gotten a bit boring. True, the two men had put on a nice show with the **Water Dragon** struggle, and Zabuza getting the piss scared out of him by that Sharingan had been fun, but it seemed to be almost over. He watched as Kakashi seemed be preparing for one final jutsu… when suddenly he sensed someone. It was faint, so very faint, but it was there, in the trees to their left. Naruto grimaced, his Darkness Vision glowing once more.

_It's her again. Is she waiting for us to take him down? I'd think she'd want the credit… ouch, that must hurt. That __**Giant Water Vortex**__ is a killer, and that was before he hit the tree… and there goes sensei with the kunai. Shit, he's probably gonna kill him now. My whole secondary mission is a bust now… wait. What's that hunter-nin doing with those senbon…? Hell, why would they even use those? They destroy bodies, and senbon aren't useful for… oh shit. But no one ever said anything about Zabuza having a kunoichi with him, just the Demon Brothers… what do I do here?_

And as his mind raced while he paddled in the water, Naruto suddenly had a flash of insight. He quickly made two Shadow Clones under the cover of the mist and the sounds of battle, and hoped he could pull this off. The girl was apparently good at keeping herself hidden. Still, he was better…

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Kakashi paused. It looked like a regular hunter-nin mask. The mysterious ninja's manner and tone seemed that of a professional shinobi, the kind placed in hunter squads. And yet something seemed… off to him, as he watched the shinobi effortlessly pick up Zabuza from where he had fallen, senbon imbedded in his neck.

"Thank you again Leaf ninja. The Mist village will not forget your aid in this endeavor."

Suddenly Kakashi realized it, the thing that was horribly off here. Kuso; he had to tell the others, he had to-

Even as he processed an unfortunate truth, Kakashi suddenly fell forward, eyes closing. Naruto and Sasuke ran to his prone body even as Sakura gave a cry of surprise.

"Damn… he's out cold. Chakra exhaustion probably." Sasuke turned to Tazuna. "Alright old man, which way to your place? We need to get there as soon as possible."

"Y-yeah… sure. It's in this direction, maybe not even 15 minutes…" Tazuna watched in surprise as they quickly gathered the unconscious man up and started off. He then blinked in surprise at their efficiency, and started after them.

The shinobi in the mask regarded them for a moment before she Shushined away… but no one, not even she, had noticed a hand reach quickly from behind the tree and gently press a small paper note to her blue-green clothes with just the subtlest amount of chakra. As she left with Zabuza in tow, the Shadow clone poofed away. Naruto smirked softly as the memory came to him… mission complete.

Meanwhile, Tazuna could only stare at the Genin as they dragged their teacher ahead of them.

_Incredible. That man would have slaughtered us like sheep… and these kids and their teacher took him down. Maybe… maybe we have a chance after all._

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"You're ruthless Haku. I think you actually enjoy this, you little masochist." Zabuza grimaced as he rubbed his neck. Pulling out the senbon, despite Haku's insistence, had been a simple matter, but it still stung like shit. He started to rise, but then slumped back against the flat part of his blade. "Damn it… I'd better not be like this for very long."

"A week at most… half of that, if you are your usual stubborn self." Haku smirked, clipping the faux hunter-nin mask to her belt as she stood, peering out at the nearby shore."The mist is gone now… next time, will you-"

"Haku, what is that?" She turned her head sharply, before noticing he seemed to be pointing to her back. She reached around, and frowned as she pulled off what seemed to be a note.

"Was it the Leaf nin? But when did they have time to…" Haku shook her head and proceeded to read the note aloud.

"_Most impressive. Your abilities are not exaggerated Zabuza, and I commend your partner for her skill. I almost didn't sense her. Now, on to business. I have an offer for the two of you. Large pay aside, I can guarantee the Mist hunter-nin will not trouble either of you for a long time, as well as very nice accommodations. It involves a special project of mine, and I hope to have you on board with us._"

"Haku, I don't know what the point of this little joke is, but I-" Zabuza paused mid-rant. Haku looked… serious. As in far more than she ever had. Whatever this note was, apparently it wasn't her doing. Haku waited a moment to see if he'd start speaking again, before she continued to read.

"_I assume you probably doubt the validity of this note. I assure you that this is all quite serious. I hope you will meet me in four days, seven miles due north from the incomplete bridge that Tazuna-san is going to try to finish. I can promise you there will be no Leaf interference… truly, it would be a great inconvenience if they found us. In any case, I hope to see you both there to discuss what will hopefully be a wonderful arrangement._

_Yours,_

_Shadow-_"

"What?! What was that name Haku?" Zabuza's mind raced as she confirmed it. If this was a joke, he'd kill the prankster who had put it there. If not… he'd heard rumors about that group. He'd even watched over the last year as his list of possible bounties shrank because of them. Well, them and that weird mystery group, Akatsuki, but Shadow was more well-known as rumors went. They'd taken down some serious targets, people even Zabuza would have needed to take seriously. Either way, whoever had gotten the note onto Haku without being noticed was very good. He then blinked as he realized Haku was still reading.

"_P.S.: Should you still be in doubt, let the following prove how this note carries with it validity-_"

Suddenly, the note in Haku's hand burst into a cloud of smoke. As she leapt in front of Zabuza to defend him, the smoke cleared… and even Zabuza, a truly hardened killer, had to give a gasp from behind her. Standing before them was a figure, completely swathed in black cloak. It was just like the stories told- even his face was covered in darkness, like some kind of jutsu or something, leaving both shinobi unable to make out anything of the face. The figure spoke, voice modulator distorting the sound as the figure seemed to be finishing what Haku had been reading.

"and that should you refuse our offer, finding you and taking you in for the price on your head is easily within our capabilities. Zabuza-san and… Haku, right? Until we meet again… hopefully, it will be under the better circumstances I mentioned before." The figure then poofed again, this time into nothingness, and left Zabuza and Haku to stare at the spot.

"Kami, he… was the letter this entire time, and even then it was only a Shadow Clone… Master Zabuza? What should we do here?" The eyebrow-less shinobi muttered to himself, before looking up at Haku.

"Get me back to the hideout… you'd better have me literally up and running in three days now. We're going to need to be ready for this. That guy was really good. Those Shadow shits apparently aren't just hyped up talk. We'll see their offer. If it isn't good… well, they have their own bounty waiting to be collected."

"Of course, Zabuza-sama…" Haku picked up both the older man and his sword before leaping off. A moment later, a Neo-shadow popped up silently, watching the direction they were going in. Shih shook his head in a frustrated manner before taking off after them, almost wishing he could still cry in frustration. And he'd just finally caught up to them too…

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Naruto sighed. He'd been doing a lot of that lately, but then again living his life was pretty stressful. This sigh wasn't one of relief or aggravation though, but of boredom.

After they had finally gotten Kakashi's unconscious body to Tazuna's place, they had been greeted by a beautiful woman named Tsunami, who turned out to be the daughter of Tazuna. She'd helped Naruto and Sasuke lug Kakashi up to a spare bedroom. They had then spent the next hour or two waiting for the cycloptic Jonin to awaken. A rather boring affair, save for when a young boy in a strange bucket-shaped hat had temporarily shown up. Despite Tsunami's rather pleasant introduction, Inari had given them all a very sour look before heading off to his room… and from the look on Tsunami's face, it had seemed a good idea not to ask.

Afterwards, there had been a short discussion in which Kakashi had revealed to them all that any hunter-nin, when operating, always destroyed the body on site. Their job didn't require carting a body away: in other words, the Mist nin they'd all seen was most likely an imposter, meaning Zabuza was probably alive.

Unfortunately, Kakashi couldn't do anything about it immediately. Despite being an elite Jonin, it had apparently been awhile since he'd faced an opponent like Zabuza. He'd gotten so drained by the fight that he was going to be out for a week, and figured Zabuza would most likely be back in that time as well, based on where those senbon had punctured.

So the very next day, after Tazuna had gotten a spare pair of crutches from town, Kakashi led the three Genin out behind the house to the edge of a forest. There he had given them a basic overview of how to actually climb trees, using nothing but their feet and chakra. Sakura immediately showed her excellent control by getting up to the top of her tree on the first try, though she was panting afterwards. Sasuke had gotten about 10 feet up before falling back.

Kakashi waited for Naruto to start, but the blonde seemed to just stare at the tree, as if contemplating the whole thing. Finally, tired of waiting, Kakashi told Sakura to head off to the bridge to guard Tazuna, while he headed back to the house. Sasuke just ignored the blonde and kept trying. Again… and again… and again…

Naruto meanwhile had finally started on his own tree. His initial hesitation hadn't been pointless; after all, it'd be annoying to explain how he could already do this perfectly, but at the same time it'd be boring to just to this all day. In the end, he'd decided to pass the time in the only way that would be fun… by pissing off Sasuke. To that end, he'd starting running up the tree, before suddenly pushing just a little too much chakra into his feet and pushing off of the tree. Naruto continued to do this again and again, making sure every time that he was always half a foot above wherever Sasuke was.

For his part Sasuke was infuriated. This nobody… this average shinobi, without even a clan to his name, was keeping ahead of him. HIM! Sasuke Uchiha! It was inconceivable. His being an Uchiha notwithstanding, Sasuke trained constantly towards the day he'd face his brother again… the idea that this middle-of-the-class shinobi was outdoing him seemed to defy logic. Sasuke ran for the tree yet again, this time a small, angry grimace etched onto his lips.

And as Naruto noticed from the corner of his eye, he gave a small inward chuckle.

Maybe waiting a few days for the meeting with Zabuza and Haku wouldn't be too bad after all…

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And so it went, day in and day out. The only change was when Kakashi switched around a different member of the team to guard duty. By the fourth day, Kakashi felt ready to start coming to the bridge again the next day. Not at full strength, but well enough to be moving around and helping out.

Sasuke was still infuriated. It was the fourth day, and he had finally reached the top of the tree. He had mastered tree-walking… and yet, that no one of a teammate had done it just a little bit before him. Naruto had been slightly ahead the entire time. How? How had he done it?!

Naruto was still enjoying the entertainment. Although, pissing Sasuke off like that day in and day out had surprisingly refused to become boring. Luckily, the Uchiha had never realized that in his frustration, he was sabotaging his own efforts. Naruto COULD have told the other boy to calm himself when working on the exercise… but watching Sasuke struggle and pretending to be just ahead had been almost ridiculously funny.

"…I'm heading to the bridge to let Kakashi know I'm done. You do whatever you want… loser." As Sasuke leapt off into the tree line, Naruto shook his head. Such arrogance… and such a stupid insult. Maybe if Naruto had been the worst in the academy, then it would have been good… then again, it was probably hard in general to make an insult for someone with average skills, neither horrible nor terrible. Oh well.

Naruto smirked, and then felt Darkness envelope him. A moment later, he was miles away in a small clearing. He panted slightly and then stood straighter. Using Darkness to teleport that far was a bit more draining than simply moving around in combat after all. He then pulled out a small scroll and unsealed it to reveal his Shadow Robe. Tossing it around himself and dispelling the illusion hiding his true height and appearance, Naruto settled down to await Zabuza and his companion.

Just as he sat, Shih suddenly showed up. There was a moment of silence, as Naruto looked into Shih's Heart. Another moment later, Naruto's eyes faded back to blue.

"Huh. Looks like it might be a bit easier than we thought. Gato definitely isn't on good terms with those two… especially with his wrist broken like that. This is good, we can definitely use this. Awesome job Shih." The Neo-Shadow raised its hand, and Naruto chuckled as he slapped his own against it. "Now get hidden and settled. We just have to wait now…" Shih nodded, vanishing back into the ground as if he was never there.

After a few minutes, Naruto suddenly realized he had an hour until Zabuza would even show up. Damn, Sasuke had apparently gotten the exercise quicker than expected… Naruto sighed, and then reached down for a second scroll to unseal. A few moments later, his violin rested under his chin. Naruto raised the bow, and began to simply let his had move of its own will, the sound completely original. Still sensing around for Zabuza, Naruto leaned back against a tree, letting the music flow. It was soft, yet strong and willful at the same time, and so very beautiful...

Not surprisingly, as he waited, the tune made him think only of his Hina-hime.

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"Zabuza-sama, I don't like this. It seems too much like a trap. These Shadow people are dangerous. Not that your skills aren't impressive as well, but you are still recovering and… well, I am simply worried." Zabuza glanced over to Haku as they moved through the treetops. While normally Zabuza would have scoffed at the remark, the situation was different. For all intents and purposes, he WAS walking into a trap… and that Shadow figure, whoever he was, had made it clear he meant business.

"It doesn't matter. After that meeting with Gato, I'm inclined to take this deal we're being offered seriously. Besides Haku, I have you, don't I? You're still as sharp a blade as ever." Haku turned to her master, smiling softly.

"Only the best for you, Zabuza-sama." As they moved, Zabuza felt a twitch of guilt. Damn, he thought he had gotten over that. This whole business with Shadow must have been getting to him. Normally, he'd be in the mind where he'd sooner cleave her in half if it meant killing an opponent. Just a tool for him to use. That was how he had trained her. And yet…

It was almost creepy sometimes how easily Haku accepted being a tool… if Haku had resented it, then maybe Zabuza could get a sick enjoyment from it, but Haku seemed to practically love the treatment. Loved being simply a tool.

The idea of himself being like that to anyone… it disgusted Zabuza. It seemed a fate worse than death. Having no dream for oneself. In ensuring Haku would never betray him, Zabuza had made her something to be pitied.

_Maybe, when I'm Mizukage, I'll try to make it up to her, get her to have her own dream… not like I'll need her as a tool anymore at that point anyway… gah, what am I thinking? I'm no softie. This whole thing has me outta whack..._

Before his thoughts could progress further, his head snapped up suddenly as a faint sound of music reached his ear. Haku's head joined the motion. It was coming from the direction the mysterious Shadow member had told them to arrive at. Haku sent a hesitant, questioning glance towards her master who, after a moment, nodded his head. If it was Shadow, all the better. If not, they'd go around whoever it was… or through, depending on Zabuza's mood.

As the two missing nin split around a very large, thick tree before joining up again, they saw below the dark, full-body cloak of the figure that had approached them before. As they fell to the ground, Zabuza mentally admitted to himself that this guy was skilled at hiding his appearance. Whatever genjutsu or technique that was apparently wreathing his face in darkness was good- the violin he was playing actually disappeared into it, assumingly resting against an unseen chin.

The dark figure seemed to pay them no heed, instead letting the music crescendo further, till finally it stopped on one long, emotional note. While it seemed to have no affect on Zabuza, Haku shivered ever so slightly- not of lust, but of some primal emotion that the final note had stirred. It had been… lovely really, a word she rarely used to describe anything. Her thoughts were then broken as the figure sealed the instrument away and stepped towards them, nodding.

"You're on time… good. Late is bad, but early can be so as well, depending on the operation."

"Spare me the academy lesson and get on with your little offer already. If it wasn't for my foul mood with my current employer, I'd have already removed your head from your shoulders." The stranger in black cocked his head, before letting out a garbled chuckle that made Haku twitch. That voice modulator was disturbing, even when the tone wasn't supposed to be.

"You have fire in you… excellent. It will be fun working with you, should you accept the offer… though after what your compatriot did to Gato's wrist, I doubt you'll be staying on course with your current contract. Hey now, what's with that look? We've been keeping tabs on you. Need to know what's happening with potential associates and all. Especially where that Gato character is concerned. We had him followed afterwards… let's just say you shouldn't expect him to plan on paying up once the job is done. In fact, expect him to actually be there when you 'finish the job'."

"…Is that so?" Zabuza pulled his blade from his back and brandished it angrily, infuriated that this guy was acting so fucking smart. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the motion had made Haku's hand start inching towards her senbon. "Your little friends let you know I don't mind at all cutting off that pompous head of yours?" The Shadow member only chuckled again, making Zabuza bristle. This guy was throwing off the killer intent he was lacing in that threat- it wasn't supposed to be treated like a joke!

"Oh, I'm sure you're able to fight me, even weakened as you are. Though, it'd be a shame to kill you. More of a shame, should your companion be damaged…" Before either of them could move, a black shaped suddenly appeared behind Haku. It clamped onto her back tightly with one hand, while the legs wrapped around her waist. Shih's other hand gripped Haku's throat, the clawed fingers almost twitching against her soft neck. "I really don't want us to start on rocky terms here. Now, how about we talk?"

"What the… what in the Hell is that thing?" Zabuza's eyes flashed between the man and the… thing that he apparently controlled. It was like some kind black bug, and yet it had legs and arms like a person… Zabuza didn't even know how to start describing it, let alone what it was.

"All can be explained, if you'll just have the patience." Zabuza hesitated, before strapping his sword back in place. Simultaneously, Shih let go of Haku. As she turned to look at her captor, the Heartless vanished into the ground, eliciting a gasp from her. She turned back, surprised to find the creature was already at the side of the Shadow member. "There now, not so hard, is it? Take a seat, because even the short version of this is kinda long."

And so he talked. He spoke of his time in the Leaf village. Of his existence as a Jinchuriki. Of the demise of Kyuubi. Of his newfound power of Darkness- which they were given a demonstration; he enjoyed watching Zabuza flinch as a small ball of Darkness blasted the middle of a large tree to splinters- and of his friends and their powers. He showed them both his new spear, grinning as Zabuza eyed the incredible weapon almost hungrily. Every secret they had been keeping from those in the Leaf. When Naruto finally finished, he couldn't suppress yet another chuckle. He didn't think Zabuza's eyes could get wider.

"…Kid, if I wasn't looking at you with my own eyes, I'd say that's the strangest thing I ever heard, and a total load of crap… hmf. So you're that blonde brat from the lake, huh? That's pretty impressive, hiding everything about you from the famous Kakashi. Alright, so you're pretty badass. Fine. Now, what exactly do you want us for anyway? I assume you have a plan for getting us out of here without making your team suspicious. And another thing. You can say you're skill and powers are around Kage level… but anyone can just say that. I wanna see proof." By proof, as it was plain to see, Zabuza wanted a good fight. Naruto shook his head, and instead launched into the offer. As he explained the details, Naruto was proven wrong as Zabuza's eye grew wider. By the time he was finished, Zabuza was obviously slack jawed, even with the bandages covering his mouth.

"Damn gaki… that really is one Hell of a bold idea. Risky as Hell… not to mention that once you go public, you'll probably have every other Shinobi village eyeing you as a foe or a target… and an entire group of S-rank ninja coming just for you?" Zabuza let his drop as he contemplated how risky it all was, despite the payoff… finally, his head rose, and there was a wide grin below the bandages. "…Hell, I'm in."

"But, Master Zabuza! This seems completely insane, practically suicidal. And our contract with Gato-"

"Haku, were you even listening? Gato isn't going to pay up. We half-figured that from the start, and we've now lost both of the Demon Brothers because of that short little bastard. Uzumaki here is giving us the wildest deal I ever heard of, AND it pays well. " Zabuza grinned as he turned back towards Naruto, before reaching up to his bandages. He slowly unwrapped them, and grinned again to show off his sharp, slightly shark-like teeth. "I gotta admit kid, I'm not crazy about giving up becoming the Mizukage, even for a little while… but this sounds like it'll be too much fun when it all starts. I can't say no. But don't expect me to 'hold hands and sing along' when I see Raiga."

"Excellent. Well, I'll see you both at the Bridge in three days. Remember, just knock out the workers, get the mist to be as thick as possible once we show up, and get his attention. I'll handle the rest."

"Only knock them out? Bah, no fun at all… I hope working under you won't be this much of a buzz kill all of the time brat…"

"Heh, sorry. Part of the whole 'virtuous nice guy' thing and all. Oh, and as for your proof… just get ready to run back to your base, both of you. I imagine someone will come running here after I start." Before Zabuza could question him, Naruto removed the cloak and sealed it away.

Then, without warning, Naruto seemed to vanish, and Zabuza barely had time to bring his sword out again before Naruto's spear suddenly was hurtling down towards Zabuza like a small comet. The older ninja gripped his weapon tightly, digging his feet in; incredibly, the little punk was on the offensive!

For the next several minutes, Haku watched helplessly as Naruto and her master engaged in what was in simple terms a hardcore kenjutsu fight. Though the word fight was a bit off, in that Naruto was really slaughtering Zabuza. Every swing the older man took was blocked, and every time he blocked a strike from Naruto, Zabuza's hands seemed to actually shudder under the force of the attack.

Snarling, Zabuza pushed aside another strike and quickly brought his sword sideways. The little bastard would be torn in half-

Except Naruto had already bent back, the metal blade passing just over his face. As Naruto came back up, he blocked another slash by Zabuza, forced and then gripped the blade with one hand and forced it to the ground like it was nothing. Naruto then literally pinned the blade by the flat side with his foot. Zabuza was stunned for a moment at having watched his massive weapon turned aside with a bare hand… and then the sudden punch to his jaw made it last a moment more. The older ninja shook his head and forced the blade up, commencing the fight again.

When they finally leapt apart, Naruto didn't even look exerted in the slightest. Zabuza, meanwhile, was panting. He had to work hard to ward off those blows, and his arms actually stung from the effort. Not to mention that the kid had just physically overpowered him… Zabuza looked up at the blonde gaki, then swore and jumped to the side as a **Grand Fireball** tore through the air where he had stood. Before he could even stand, Zabuza was throwing himself to the side as a **Water Dragon** blasted against the trees that were still burning after the first jutsu. He stood, and was barely able to hold his ground as a **Great Breakthrough** washed over him, the force of the wind uprooting trees behind him.

Zabuza finally stood, panting even harder. The little punk wasn't even winded, not after the fighting or the three jutsu in a row. His breathing wasn't off at all. Maybe there was something to his claims…

_Damn it. He's stronger. He's faster. Little punk even knows a few good jutsu. Got some variety there. Not to mention he's a fucking genius with that spear… he might actually be as good as he claims._

Suddenly sealing his spear away, Naruto took a deep breath, and then let his chakra surge out from his body. More… and more… and more, until Zabuza was forced to step back, shocked as the ground started to crack under the young teen.

_Kami above… that intent he's giving off along with that power... no. It isn't even killer intent. It's pure chakra. The force of it is so great that it's pushing on my body like killer intent does. The pressure is all from his own power. All this and he isn't even a demon container any more. He's letting out Jonin… no… crap, that's practically Kage level power and rising, and he isn't even using any of the Darkness he told us about! How much power is this boy hiding?!_

Finally, Naruto relaxed, and the chakra seemed to fade away. Another second and it was suppressed, as Naruto mentally thanked Hina-hime for the long hours of chakra control practice she'd beaten into him. The boy seemed to squint, and then with a poof, a shorter Naruto stood before them once again hidden. He let off a grin that seemed almost too childish, as if purposefully letting the watcher know there was more there then what met the eye.

Then, as if to add icing onto the cake, Naruto took out a kunai, and quickly dug it deep into his arm, grimacing as he dragged it up the limb. Ignoring Haku's gasp of total shock, Naruto removed and stored the weapon, and then flared his chakra some… and to the surprise of the others, Naruto's arm started to heal. In less than 30 seconds, the arm was good as new, with not even a scar left behind.

"Not bad huh? Even with Kyuubi gone, he healed my body so many times that it sped up my natural healing process. Injuries that take weeks to heal finish in days. But if I flare a lot of chakra, it speeds up the process to match what Kyuubi could do. Not easy to kill me, is it? ...Well? Kakashi's gonna come to investigate soon. Better start running." Naruto then took off at an odd angle, planning to double back to Tsunami's house and claim he came back from training when he felt the chakra surge. Zabuza watched the boy take off, before nodding to Haku as he left in the direction they'd come from. As Haku leapt beside him, Zabuza contemplated it all… he was going to be working for a young punk that could, in all honesty, pound him into the ground, who was going to end up making enemies of equally dangerous people, whom he'd probably have to fight.

Well if nothing else, things would get a lot more exciting now…

Not even five minutes later, the figure of Kakashi Hatake bounded into the small wooded area where the meeting had taken place. It looked around anxiously for whom or whatever had caused such a massive surge of chakra, and the damage in the area. Seeing nothing but the cracks in the ground, some smoldering trees, and a lot of wind damage, Kakashi seemed to sigh. Whatever it had been was gone now… the boss would wanna know. The figure blinked, and then the shadow clone dispersed.

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(_2 Days Later_)

"One day… only one more day, and the eight tails will be ours. I must admit, you have all surpassed my expectations."

"Well it wasn't easy. But soon we're gonna go after the first and last ones, yeah? We've been waiting so long, and now we're gonna finally get the plan underway. No one will stop us, yeah?"

Pein nodded. Or rather his astral projection nodded. It gazed out upon the terrifying statue on whose hand he 'stood', watching as the stone giant continued to suck out the chakra of the eighth Biju. Killer Bee hung in the air before them, splayed like a cruel mockery of a marionette as the demon's chakra seeped from his every pore. They had finished another sealing not too long ago, so there were actually four live members at the statue. Pein's projection looked out at Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, and Sasori, and mentally sighed. Four men such as they, all together in the same room… it was amazing the four oddest members of Akatsuki hadn't erupted into all out warfare.

"Gah, this is so fucking boring! Can we just kill this prick and leave?"

Very amazing.

"It will only be a day more Hidan. I suggest you suck it up and concentrate on finishing this if you really are that bored."

"I don't know why I put up with you chicken-shit cocksuckers. Lord Jashin's arrival is gonna make all this pointless anyway. I could be doing better things with my time!" Sasori turned to the fanatic, letting Hiruko's tail lash threateningly.

"I don't care. I really don't. You've somehow gotten more annoying over the last day or two than I thought possible. I don't know how Kakuzu puts up with you."

"Whoever said I could? I'd drink heavily id I thought it would actually help at all…"

"Mah, he's no fun, is he Sasori-sama? When we're done with this, will go out and get some sake, drink off the headache he's giving us, yeah?"

Again Pein sighed. How the organization had kept together so long was beyond even he, a mortal-turned-God. He did not waste time trying to figure it out. Instead, Pein turned to stare at the astral form of a figure in black, orange mask swiveling as he took in the others.

_He still believes he is obeyed undeniably, when he is only a mere mortal… soon, Madara Uchiha. Soon you will learn there is a price for thinking you can control a God. And your greatest insult is to fake submission to me in front of others, your own private mockery of my sanctity. My 'betrayal' will surely be swift and merciless... for indeed, you are truly blasphemous, and worthy of a God's wrath._

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One day… the Keyblades could feel it. Only a single day till they reached the world that their last wielder had sent them to…

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One day… the figure glanced at its burning prison. The screams that had long ago driven it to a temporary insanity raged, but now they were once again an incredible music. Music was useless to it, save the music of true agony, especially agony that it could cause.

It was almost time to break free… and then it could lead its own chorus of pain anew…

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One day… it would be just one more day till they finally returned to base. Kimimaro looked around at the figures running beside him. The Sound Four had been quiet, save the occasional swearing from Tayuya and the consequential scolding from Jirobo. Karin was still bickering with Suigetsu, and he mentally questioned her maturity after seeing how easily the sharp-toothed boy egged her on.

Suddenly Kimimaro stumbled, and ended up on his hands and knees as he started coughing again. The grass below his head was stained red as blood dribbled out.

_No… please. I am already useless as a vessel… I can't become useless altogether!_

Before any more desperate and tortured thoughts could fill his head, a shadow seemed to cover him. Looking up, Kimimaro found a large hand extended down to him, by the last member of the group. Kimimaro smiled and, despite the still lingering pain in his chest, took the hand and rose shakily. The very touch, and the almost brotherly smile on the face of the boy who owned that hand, seemed to raise both his spirit and the pain.

"Jugo… thank you."

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"One day Kami…"

"Indeed Shinigami. It's going to be quite a lightshow, if nothing else…"

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(_That Night_)

Naruto was in quite a conundrum. It was the last day before Zabuza and Haku would come to the bridge. The whole group had been sitting around the table in Tazuna's house, trying to enjoy the meal. Normally, the whole week had given them nothing but slightly tense dinners, though the seriousness of the situation made that acceptable. However, tonight somehow seemed to leave them all in a more cheery mood, especially Tazuna (after he got into his third saucer of sake anyway). It was if they weren't eating a possible last meal, but rather trying to have a pre-victory dinner. And it seemed to be working for them all. The food tasted better, the laughter was lighter, and everyone seemed more festive.

Except Inari.

The young boy had spent the last week locked within his room, or walking along the beach near the house, apparently determined not to be anywhere near the Leaf ninja if possible. On the fifth day Tsunami had noticed the looks the shinobi had given the young boy, and after Inari had excused himself from dinner she had proceeded to tell the story of his 'father' Kaiza. Everything, from when the man had first arrived, to his resistance against Gato, to his eventual de-limbing and death. Kaiza hadn't just meant a lot to Inari; indeed, the entire village had just seemed to lose its spirit when Kaiza died.

Tonight, as Naruto chuckled at a slurred joke that an inebriated Tazuna had tried to tell, Inari apparently hit a breaking point with everyone else's revelry. The young boy suddenly grabbed his knife and tossed it hard at Naruto. The blonde shifted his head to the side, and turned to watch as the knife sank partway into the wall. Everyone was silent, save Naruto who just muttered, "Nice throw for a little boy…"

"Shut up! Just shut up already! You… you're all just so damn happy! Just laughing, without a care in the world. What do any of you know about having to suffer like we have? About pain or loss? The only thing that makes it sadder is that you guys actually think you can win. Gato… his men are going to kill you! Did you hear me? You act like a bunch of heroes, but heroes don't exist anymore, they just don't! Just stop playing hero already, cause you're all going to die-"

Inari suddenly stopped short, woken out of his pitiable rage by Naruto suddenly pushing his chair back from the table and standing. Inari took a look at the older boy and shuddered; his eyes seemed so… so understanding, and like they wanted to take all of Inari's pain away.

They were like Kaiza's eyes.

"You know, you really need to be more open-minded. And I really need to get some sleep." Naruto stood and started for the stairs, but as he reached them he turned back to Inari. "You're not the only one that suffers in the world, ya know? It's why people become heroes; to help people like you, since they think you're worth fighting for. Some heroes can't be everywhere, but they are there Inari." Naruto then smiled sadly. "But you're luckier than a lot of people who suffer… you have a mother to go to when it gets to be too much."

The words themselves were deep… but what caused Inari to visibly shudder was the tone. It wasn't angry, wasn't sad, wasn't even the kind of voice that begged for mutual understanding and pity… he just seemed to **know**. To know just how Inari felt.

As Naruto headed up, Inari turned back to the others, unsure what to even say. Kakashi, however, did.

"Inari… Naruto's right you know. He never had a father to even lose… and he never had a mother like you do. His whole life he's been alone, and he hasn't even really had a friend. But he's surprisingly strong- not because of the life he's had, but in spite of it. He has great potential, and will push his all towards whatever I set him to. More than that, he's bluntly honest, something most people can't be anymore, and after long enough you can't help but trust him completely. He's… really a special personality." _I just wish he had something he was really working towards._ Kakashi shook his head from the errant thought and continued. "I've been a ninja a long time, ever since I was a little kid, when my father died. I've seen a lot of suffering in this world, like he mentioned. But… I've seen heroes too. People like Kaiza. And they don't always die Inari. They win… just like we are going to win." As if putting a period to that sentence, Kakashi stood, his festive mood gone. "Sasuke, Sakura. Get upstairs and sleep. We need to be completely alert tomorrow. Zabuza will most likely have recovered by tomorrow morning." The two Genin nodded and left for bed, silenced by both the thought of the possible fight ahead, and the conversation that had just taken place.

Apparently, their blond teammate was deeper than they had thought.

In his room, Naruto waited under his cover to fall asleep. At least that was how it would appear to an observer. If there had been one, they wouldn't have been oblivious as Naruto let Darkness flow into the seal on his arm, flinging his thoughts/memories to three of his most precious people…

_Tomorrow is the day. I have everything planned perfectly._

_Just be careful Naruto, alright? He IS a missing-nin…_

_You didn't talk to him Hina-hime. I could tell without a doubt that we can trust him, as long as our offer is good. And we all know it is._

_Indeed. This is going to be a great step in our most Youthful plan!_

_An accurate assumption. Though, I would be more contented if we possessed a locality for our special project._

_Well, now that you mention it, I think I finally found one. I'm also in the middle of that little experiment with the Search Ghosts that Shino proposed. If I can get the whole thing to work, I'll be able to show you…_

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(_The Next Day_)

"What did I tell ya Waraji? While those Leaf ninja march off to die with the old man, we get the easy job." Zori grinned, leering at Tsunami as she backed away from the large hole they had cut in the wall of her house. All the sharpening on trees on the way over, and skewering that wild boar, had been worth the delay. Indeed, the smell of blood on their swords only seemed to increase the woman's terror, as well as that of the little kid backed against a doorway.

"**Too** easy Zori. I wanted to at least have a little fun… alright. Let's grab them both and get going."

"Nope. Gato said only one. I ain't gonna bring two, and then have him say we only get half-pay for not following orders exactly. Just slice the kid up." Waraji grinned, flicking his blade a bit from the sheath as visible eye seemed to almost sparkle wickedly.

"Now that's what I'm talking about. Let's see how long this kid is gonna scream…"

"No!" The two samurai turned back to Tsunami, who was standing defiantly before, them, any previous fear for herself forgotten.

When it comes down to it, any parent that truly loves their child, Mother or Father, will do whatever it takes to safe-guard their child. Their own survival is at **most** considered tertiary.

Right then, seeing how the scarred man had threatened Inari, Tsunami's survival in her mind wasn't even that.

"Take me. It's just me that you want, right? If you… if you lay even a finger on him, I'll bite my own tongue off and drown in my own blood!"

Zori frowned. It was a gutsy move. If she was bluffing, he couldn't see the end purpose to it. They had checked around before entering the house, and had seen no one. So she was probably telling the truth. They were both fast; maybe they could get her before she did, and still cut the brat up. If not, they both lost her and were stuck with a slightly less useful hostage.

"…Fine. Let's go then." He pulled a cord of rope from his belt and began restraining her wrists behind her back. Zori turned to the kid, smirking. "You got a loving mommy kid. Almost wish my mom had been that good to me." They left through the hole in the wall. Tsunami was silent, secure in the knowledge that her son was alive. No noises at all as they left, save for the thud of a sword handle against a skull. It almost sounded like Waraji had muttered, "Heh, she was good to me…"

Inari watched their backs as they walked away. They… they were going. They were taking his mother now; just like they had taken Kaiza… he was alone.

Inari's knees trembled as he slumped against the wall. He felt so damn helpless. And no one was coming. No one. Not hero to save him like Kaiza had. But then, there were no more heroes-

"_But, I've seen heroes too Inari… and they don't always die. They win."_ Inari's head snapped up as Kakashi's words suddenly startled him from his hopeless stupor. And as if summoned by them, Naruto's words seemed to come as well._ "It's why people become heroes; to help people like you, since they think you're worth fighting for… they are there Inari."_

Inari stood a bit straighter as the trembling seemed to stop. Kaiza… Kaiza had treated Inari like a son, hadn't he? Hadn't he loved Inari's mother? He had loved them both… and died trying to keep them safe.

Because…

Because he thought they were worth fighting for.

It suddenly became very clear to Inari. He was only eight, and yet the epiphany came with clarity beyond his current maturity. Inari ran to the counter and grabbed two large, sharp knives before running out the hole in the wall. Even as he ran, he knew how this would end. He'd die, just as sure as they had his mother.

But it didn't matter. He had to do this. He had to be a hero like Kaiza, and die like him as well…

Because his mother was worth fighting for.

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They were very confident, assured in their victory. Also, Zori was chuckling at how easy it was to shove the raven-haired woman forward. Because of these two points, both Zori and Waraji weren't paying too much attention to much else. It was therefore understand able they didn't hear the patter of small feet running behind them… nor did they hear the sound of a knife being thrown. Indeed, they only noticed it after the blade had gone across Waraji's right bicep, leaving a large but very shallow cut. The tattooed swordsman clasped a hand across the wound, grimacing out of anger rather than pain.

"What the fuck?! Who threw that?" He turned, and his mouth turned up into a grin as he saw Inari standing behind them, holding the other knife up. Waraji tore his sword from its sheath and grinned. "Well well. You're quite lucky kid. You're nuts dropped **really** early… congratulations, you lived long enough to see the day. Now, you're gonna watch me cut em off!"

"No! You can't, I'll-" Tsunami's outburst stopped as she fell to the ground, seemingly lifeless, Zori's hand still hanging where it had hit her neck. "I-Inari…"

"Finally." Zori then removed his sword, turning to his eye patch wearing comrade. "What do you say? Second one to cut the kid buys the winner the first round?"

"You're on!" The two samurai rushed forward toward Inari, blades held to strike. Inari raised the kitchen knife he'd brought, waiting. He just barely noticed that despite the fact that his chance of surviving was nil, he didn't actually feel scared at all.

_Kaiza… Dad. I'm gonna see you again soon. Then when Momma comes, we can be like a family again…_

They were 30 feet away…

Twenty feet…

Ten…

And then, at nine feet, the wooden planks they were standing on seemed to suddenly explode upward. Naruto… no, what looked like two of Naruto- had burst through the planks from where they had hidden all morning, clutching to the sides of the wooden support posts. Their fists uppercutted the two samurai incredibly hard, and between that and their momentum the two swordsmen were flung up over Inari, landing behind the boy in an unconscious heap. One Naruto walked past him to start tying up the now unconscious thugs, while the second Naruto knelt down to Tsunami and started shaking her awake.

"Inari… that was good work. Just start working on your aim, alright?" Naruto grinned, then gripped Tsunami and helped her up and steadied the older woman. "Like I said, heroes are there… we just show up at the last minute sometimes. Heh… anyway, both of you grab something for a weapon and then go into town. Inari, you have a crossbow in your room, right? Anyway, round everyone up and bring them to the bridge." Inari then noticed the Naruto tying up the two thugs puff into smoke. "Nice, right? You can't even tell either of us was a clone."

"Wait!" Tsunami called out, not out of fear but confusion, wanting to ask a question before this clone vanished like the first. "Everyone in town… why do you want them to go to the bridge?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The clone grinned, and then said something before poofing away. Mother and son stared at the empty space for a second, before running back into the house, the clone's words buzzing in their heads like a swarm of happy bees.

"_Well, this island belongs to all of you. You should all be there to see Gato fall."_

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Kakashi grimaced as he fought to keep his hand from twitching. This was truly a bad situation.

True, it could have been worse. After the unknown massive chakra surge the day before, he had gotten overly cautious and gone around to tell the bridge workers to stay home for the day in the village. The bridge was currently devoid of anyone, save Kakashi, his Genin, and Tazuna. It meant there were less people to cover.

Still, Zabuza would most likely show up at any moment to claim Gato's bounty on Tazuna. Not to mention that the former Mist shinobi had an unknown accomplice whose abilities and power were unidentified. He'd have to cover both Tazuna AND his team, all while trying not to get killed.

No, the situation wasn't good at all, and the more he thought about it, the more Kakashi realized he should have cancelled the mission the minute the Demon Brothers appeared. Taken everyone back to the village, and gotten a team of Jonin to escort the old man. He'd let Naruto guilt both himself and the rest of the team into this… and with a good point at that.

Sometimes, the boy was like Minato-sensei.

_You'd have done it too sensei. Gotten us to come along with you on stupidly dangerous missions… usually for the right reason. Still… they aren't us. Even Sasuke, the best on the team, isn't near the level I was. Did I really make a good decision here?_

Unfortunately, if Kakashi had expected to suddenly hear an answer in his own head, it never came. And that stupor was shaken shortly after as a thick mist started to suddenly coalesce on all sides of the group. Kakashi moved in front of Tazuna as the Genin covered the other three flanks.

"Kakashi… you're up, are you? Not bad. Guess we Jonin really do recover quickly." Zabuza suddenly appeared in front of the group, like a ghost suddenly coming into being. Beside him was the strange, faux hunter ninja again. "Still, I don't have time for this. I'll make you a final offer- take your little brats and head on out. I'll give my word as 'Demon of the Mist' that you won't be followed."

"Sorry, but we won't be taking your most generous offer. This man, Tazuna, has the dreams of this island riding on his shoulders, and we'll fight for that dream to the end." Zabuza cocked a non-existent eyebrow before giving a harsh, throaty laugh.

"Leaf ninja are just idealistic to the end, aren't you? Heh, nothing wrong with that… as long as you've got the power to back it up. Which you don't. Today, you're lives end, and the dreams of all of these people die forever!" With that, Zabuza was suddenly in front of the group, swinging his massive sword down upon Kakashi. The silver-haired Jonin swept two kunai up, blocking the headstrong attack.

_Damn it. Something isn't right here. He's leaving himself massively open to attack from the rest of my team. Why would he do that, unless…_

Kakashi's visible eye widened suddenly as the masked accomplice to Zabuza suddenly disappeared from where he stood. Before he could warn the Genin under his command, there was a suddenly blow, right to the back of his neck. Kakashi's resistance slipped, and his body started to collapse forward as his mind started slipping into unconsciousness.

_So… so fast… didn't even… feel him appearing… behind… me…_

_No…_

_No!_

_Sasuke! Sakura! Naruto!_

_NO!_

And as Kakashi fell into unconsciousness, certain of his impending death, he couldn't think of nothing else but of the horror of his failure… and the price that his innocent team would pay for it.

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Zabuza raised his blade back up; letting himself feel a small self-satisfied smirk press the bandages over his mouth as Kakashi hit the bridge floor. Behind him, the pink-haired little brat and the one with black eyes fell unconscious as well… and behind them, were a smirking Naruto, his Shadow Clone, and Haku. The former of the three had made a single, almost impossibly fast strike at the Leaf Jonin, while the latter two had taken out Sasuke and Sakura simultaneously. The clone poofed away as Naruto relaxed and smirked at the taller man.

"What did I tell you? The whole thing went off like clockwork." Naruto's triumphant mood was shattered by a sudden, slow sound of backpedaling. The three shinobi turned to see Tazuna backing away, a look of terrified disbelief etched into his features.

"You… you traitor! After everything we told you, you're helping this scum, and that pig he works for?!" Naruto grinned, checked to make sure the three other members of his team were unconscious, and then released the seals holding his Genjutsu. Tazuna gasped at the suddenly taller, older looking boy that stood before him.

"Don't be fooled. I just hit puberty early." Naruto's smile then took a more serious look to it. "Tazuna-sama-"

"Sama? Kid, I'm a super bridge builder, not a Daimyo or something."

"But you will be." Naruto grinned at Tazuna's nonplussed face and continued. "Tazuna, I have a lot to explain to you… and then a deal to offer you. One that will greatly benefit your country…"

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(_10 minutes later_)

Inari gripped the crossbow tighter. The bridge was just on the other side of the trees that he was running through. His heart pounded both from fear and the adrenaline of knowing fighting would start soon. His heart was strengthened, however, by the dozens of feet running behind him.

Every able-bodied man and women in the village was behind, carrying a variety of weapons that included pitchforks, shovels, kitchen knives, and hoes. Some even carried broken bottles and bricks, while others cracked knuckles in preparation. Whatever was happening at the bridge, it would probably be dangerous- and they all wanted to be ready.

As Inari burst through the trees, finally letting the bridge come into view, he noticed a fine mist was covering it, one that seemed to be starting to dissipate. He looked out at three figures that seemed to be standing upright… and stopped. Tsunami looked at her son, and then up ahead, before she too came to a halt. One by one, the rest of the small mob halted and fell silent as well.

Up ahead, as three of the Leaf ninja lay unconscious or dead upon the bridge, Naruto was looking on as Tazuna and Zabuza shook hands. The eyebrow less ninja had removed his bandages, pointed teeth filling up a broad smile.

"D-Dad?" Tsunami barely was able to keep standing, unable to comprehend at all what was going on. "Wh-what are you doing? What's going on here?"

"That's just what I want to know." Everyone, including the three men on the bridge, turned to look towards the uncompleted end of the large structure. As the mist cleared, it could be seen that a ladder hung from the rail at the end, going down to a large vessel in the water. And beside the ladder, leaning on his cane, was Gato… standing in front of a couple dozen thugs and samurai. "Our contract involved you killing Tazuna… not shaking the old man's hand like you were old chums." Naruto suddenly blinked, as if seeing the short businessman for the first time.

"… So you're Gato, huh? You're taller than I expected. Everyone always harps on how short you are… I was expecting to have to bend down to look you in the eye." Naruto smiled and kept going, despite the look on Gato's face, one of shock that someone would dare insult him. He was used to it from the crass, older ninja he hired, but apparently a young kid had never done so. "And did you have no confidence in him? You seem to have a lot of men behind you for someone who expected his client to fulfill his end of the deal."

"Well… you ninja are very expensive. Almost not worth the money to get the job done. All of these guys… they're just here to ensure I don't have to pay you. Still, they cost quite a pretty ryo, so if you don't mind taking a few out before they kill you, I wouldn't mind…" So secure in his imminent victory, Gato was surprised to see the blonde-haired kid start to chuckle. "What? What's so funny you little straw-headed shrimp?" This only seemed to fuel Naruto's laughter, and it was a few seconds before he could stop.

"Well, first of all, that's a new description of me. You're original, I give you that. Second, a midget like you, calling me shrimp? That's just rich. But the kicker here… is you think you've got us against the ropes." Naruto then looked Gato right in the eye, and the older man actually flinched from the absolute confidence the young punk was giving off. "You hire an A-rank ninja, betray him, openly admit it to his face… and then think you'll beat him, a Genin, and a crowd full of armed people with a couple dozen hired goons and swordsman? Oh, my dear sir, you really don't understand the situation at all…"

"Ain't it a fact. So, how about letting me finish him?" Zabuza swung his sword in a few arcs in front of him, starting to gear up for what would definitely be a good time.

Unfortunately-for Zabuza anyway- Naruto shook his head, and then pulled his sleeves up, revealing the multiple Genjutsu seals hiding his true appearance.

"Nope. This is going to be the deal breaker I mentioned." The blonde bit his thumb, and then ran the blood over the seals. They flashed, and then a cloud of smoke covered Naruto. As it cleared, showing his taller, more mature body, everyone took a step back… and a few women got starry-eyed… and one man too.

Naruto then held up his right hand, letting Darkness start to pool into it. It grew darker and thicker, covering his entire hand, yet somehow shining with a black light somehow. As Gato and his men took a step back in confusion, and not a little fear, Naruto turned to Tazuna with a shit-eating grin spreading from cheek to whisker-marked cheek.

"Old man Tazuna… this is going to start our wonderful business partnership." Naruto then turned back to Gato, all humor gone from his features. He began walking forward, the Darkness-encased hand clenching tightly enough that one could hear the knuckles crack. "This, Gato, is for Kaiza… and for anyone whoever suffered or died, for your insatiable greed." Suddenly, Naruto was in front of Gato. The thugs behind their short boss couldn't even comprehend what had just happened; the kid had fucking teleported or some shit, it had been so fast! They stepped back, along with Gato, who was petrified with fright. He couldn't even concentrate on trying to bribe the kid off, or on ordering his men to gut the kid. The killing intent Naruto gave off was virtually suffocating.

"**Darkness Style: Touch of the Abyss…**" **(1)**

"You're greed truly is insatiable, isn't it? Just want, want, want…" Naruto suddenly grasped forward with his Darkness covered hand, latching onto Gato's face. The older man screamed as the strange power the boy had started to sear his very flesh, making him almost wish the boy would just kill him already. "Well you're in luck Gato! This is just for you!"

"HERE, HAVE IT!"

Naruto's hand clenched, and any screams Gato would have made were silenced. The attack… Naruto's attack burned and utterly destroyed whatever his hand touched. Gato fell onto his back on the bridge, his head smoking. It looked-rightly so- as if someone had simply scooped a large chunk out of Gato's head. Nose, mouth, eyes, part of the cheeks… burned away. Most of it was gone, save the smoldering parts of the brain Naruto's hand hadn't clenched. Inari and the people behind him with weaker constitutions could only vomit; their bile was almost as disgusting as what was left of Gato's head. Zabuza himself could only stare at the unusual sight, not even a muscle twitching.

"Kid… you can be a sick bastard when you wanna be, you know that?" Naruto only gave a very sad chuckle in response, sitting down on the bridge out of mental exhaustion rather than physical.

"No, that's a new one… I still hate killing. Murdering. Only ever did it once before this… makes me feel like I ran a marathon somehow. I'm still not used to the idea of taking someone's life away, and if I did it a million times I'll feel the same way… I hate ending the life of another, with every fiber of my being…but…" Naruto then stood and turned back to everyone, his eyes suddenly resolute and firm. Everyone, even Zabuza gasped in wonder. His eyes were suddenly…awe-inspiring, as if looking into them could transform every person there. "For my friends… for anyone who places their dreams with me… even if I have to kill in the end, I'll do whatever it takes to make their dreams reality!"

Inari gasped despite himself. It was like listening to Kaiza again. He couldn't help but feel inspired by those words, and the honest conviction behind them. Everyone behind him in the crowd thought the exact same thing.

"… Not a bad speech kid." Everyone turned back to the men standing behind Gato's corpse. One of Gato's thugs, a man with a red eye mask, had stepped forward and seemed to be speaking for the others. The grip on his chain-wrapped staff was tight though. He wasn't about to be stupid and get himself killed, after all. "But speeches don't pay the bills, and with Gato gone there's no one left to pay ours. So I was thinkin… maybe we hit that village up and see what they're worth. After all, we got lots more of us than of you, and those wimps in the crowd behind you can't shake a stick against us. Whaddya say boys?" The rest of the gang of hired weapons started cheering in agreement. They bayed for the fight, and seemed to be almost thirsty for the idea of the pillaging to ensue.

Zabuza finally moved, cocking his head to the side as if the motion would reveal that the whole scene in front of him was a big joke. When that failed, he turned to Naruto and asked, "So… now can I go wild?"

"Uh uh, how do we ask?"

Zabuza groaned, and then smirked despite himself at the cheeky blonde he was now working for, and repeated the request: "Can I go wild now, Naruto-_sama_?" The people of Wave blinked in utter confusion at what seemed to be an expert shinobi killer deferring to a young man, and that confusion grew as Naruto chuckled and shook his head.

"Request denied. Someone already asked to deal with anyone that showed up with Gato… someone who, unlike me, has gotten used to killing." Naruto gestured towards the group of thugs in front of them. They looked around, expecting some sudden attack. Nothing in front but the blonde punk. Nothing left. Nothing right. Nothing above. Nothing behind.

Whatever it was the kid was talking about, it wasn't coming. The masked thug in front grinned at the apparent bluff, and started walking forward…

It was on his third step that Shih suddenly appeared up out of the bridge, his claws running across the man's throat.

Even as the body fell back, Shih was suddenly in their midst, claws swiping across flesh, limbs rushing out to collide with bodies. Blood spattered along one man as his neighbor suddenly found the bones of his arm painfully crushed to powder. Ever since becoming a Neo-Shadow, Shih had worked long and hard to adapt to his improved speed and longer limbs, starting to work his old Taijutsu training back in. It showed. Even if they had been shinobi, the group wouldn't have been able to touch him. Shih was like a black blur, and to the men he killed was nothing but a blurred black demon. A monster of fist and foot and claw and bright yellow eyes that burned with fiery intensity.

In only fifteen seconds, it was over. Shih stood at the end of the uncompleted bridge, the bodies of the few smart enough to run lying prostrate before him.

Naruto turned back to the others. His eyes ran over Haku's body, frozen in sheer amazement, and Zabuza's eyes widened by amazement and approval. Tazuna stared grimly at the carnage, nodding acceptingly. Inari and the rest of the people of Wave, however, looked torn on how to react. Naruto knew he had to say something good, and soon, before they chose fear in response to not understanding what the Hell had happened here.

"…This right here? This is victory. It's not victory for me in combat. It isn't victory for everyone for surviving, for still being alive… it is victory of spirit. You all stand here, holding weapons that you were ready to fight, and maybe die with, when you first arrived." His words had the desired effect. From Inari, to Tsunami, to the workers, to everyone in the crowd, all as one looked down at the tools and objects in hand. They stared, as if realizing for the first time that they were holding them. "It wasn't because I told you all to come that you did. Not because of me that you were ready to fight. That was all of you, making a choice. Wanting something better, and then reaching for it. That… that's a victory of spirit, and in that your victory is the greatest." And again as one, their mouths formed into smiles, ones that grew with an almost frightening speed till every person there looked around at each other. Knowing that Gato was gone. Their home… it was theirs again! Naruto felt their smiles reach him, and then unsealed his spear and thrust it into the air.

"Rise, people of the Land of Waves! Arise in victory!"

The roar of the people of the Land of Waves seemed to almost shake the island like a titan's tread…

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"It… is done." Pein's astral projection watched as the last of the chakra of the eighth Biju seeped into the statue. A seventh eye upon the grotesque stone statue opened, its pupil gazing out as chillingly as the other six before it.

The new world… it was so near now…

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The figure grinned. Few souls had ever felt as empowering as that of the Cyberdemon. But now, it was done. Every last morsel of that soul was his. The body slumped back, the engine molded cruelly to flesh upon its grotesque back smoldering and sparking. The figure stood, feeling truly alive for the first time since its imprisonment within Hell. It raised its left, armor-encased fist, and slammed it against the literal fiery bars of its prison... they shattered like the most fragile glass.

It was free… and now, there was an entire Hell of souls on which to feed…

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Kimimaro landed upon one knee, coughing up blood once more. It had been maybe the tenth time since they had collected Jugo at their last stop. He struggled to stand. In the distance, beyond the clearing they were in, was the village of Sound… he could even see Lord Orochimaru standing upon the village walls.

_I'm so close... even if I cannot survive long enough to aid the attack, I must reach him. So… so he can smile at me, for succeeding for him just once more…_

Maybe 50 yards ahead, the group noticed his fall and stopped. Jugo turned, saw one of the closest people to him falter, and started to move towards him once more…

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And above all of them, soaring through space itself, were the Keyblades. The long journey had almost drained them of power. There would be very little Light left in them, as so much had been stored away for just this moment, for passing through the barrier of this world. It was so close…

And watching its progress, were Kami and Shinigami themselves. They still floated within their dimension apart from reality, the chessboard still between them.

"Almost time, is it not brother?" Shinigami watched his castle move forward, and then turned his eyes up to Kami. The white-clothed sibling uber-God nodded in response, and started spinning around in midair, just for kicks.

"Oh yes, indeed it is time. It's strange though… despite the countless eons we've watched, I've never felt as anxious for any entertainment as I have now. It's all about to get so exciting!" The androgynous being giggled and stared off into space as if stunned. In truth, his eyes roamed across reality, partaking of different worlds. "And ever since we decided to make a change concerning the fate of this one world, all of the others have gotten so exciting! That boy really is special!"

"Indeed. That Inuyasha boy is finally going to duel Naraku to the death, Aizen is about to make his move, someone killed Kenny again, and Barack Obama is being sworn in as President… this little existence we've built is finally really coming together all at once, in a thousand different worlds."

"Oh yes. But this one interests me the most." Kami sighed, then let one of his hands slip out of the long sleeves of his robe and hang in mid air. Though separate from reality, he could feel both the barrier of Naruto's world and the Keyblades as if they were right under his fingers. "I am ready… time for a lightshow."

"Indeed. Just make sure you destroy only what we agreed upon…"

Kami nodded, and then his hand clenched.

Throughout existence, every God or Devil, no matter how powerful, gave a shudder.

They knew that feeling… it meant, for the first time since a time forgotten, Kami or Shinigami had done something. They had no clue what, or where, but it only meant one thing.

If whatever the two supreme beings had done involved them…

Everything was about to be seriously fucked up.

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The Keyblade was passing through the barrier of the world when it suddenly jerked to one side. The action caused the barrier to ripple. Though unseen by any mortal eye, it passed through the entire barrier like a wave. That wave might have continued till it shattered… but a divine hand drove that wave. It suddenly halted, and then rushed back towards the space over the Elemental continent. The ripples coalesced above the landmass, the energy looking for a point to escape through so that the barrier could return to normal.

Kami gave it that escape.

The energy centered on spots in the barrier, pushing against certain spots that Kami had divined. Suddenly, from those holes poured out power… raw, extra power from the barrier, which beamed down towards the planet below. They touched down like gazes from the giant eyes of a God. Yet even as they descended they grew weaker, the energy dissipating. By the time they struck, they wouldn't be able to pierce deep into the planet, or start any dangerous reactions or natural disasters. There wouldn't be that much heat or power left.

One thing was certain though… wherever they hit, anything in the beam's circumference would be undoubtedly flash fried.

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In a forest some fifty miles from Konoha, a figure laid within the branches of a large tree. His face was set into a wide, though somehow humorless smile as he scribbled into a small book.

Suddenly, he looked up to the sky, on a strange impulse, and saw a twinkling light… no, multiple lights, one right over him.

Again on impulse, he suddenly closed the book and hurled the precious item as hard as he could… seconds before a beam of bright light suddenly hit the ground, the very edge of it encasing the tree where he stood.

A few moments later, the beam faded… and in its place was a 100 diameter circle of chard earth. Like the aftermath of a many-day firestorm, not even a husk of a tree remained. The very earth itself was turned to glass, steam and smoke rising from the site. The grass on all sides of the circle of destruction burned for a few meters before dying out.

Some 90 yards away, a book lay across its spine open to two pages, displaying to the sky the joined hands of two faceless warriors…** (2)**

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In the Village Hidden in the Rain, the great Salamander Hanzo had gathered his entire force to a clearing to discuss his long-term strategy for the civil war in which their village and country was entangled in. He spoke in broad, grand terms, building up the morale of his men even as, for effect, large salamanders crawled around him like coiling snakes. His shinobi cheered and roared with the end of every statement, unable to control their enthusiasm. After all, they were led by a man who drew to a draw with the three Sannin themselves, a man who threw himself into battle ahead of them every time. What had they to fear?

As Hanzo's speech finished, the shinobi there raised their hands and cried out in admiration and battle-thirst. Their spirits had reached a peak that could make most shinobi flinch.

Even as the beam of death descended down and burned them all to cinders, Hanzo and his men could only see victory ahead on the horizon…

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The dark creature looked around in complete ecstasy. So many souls, all of them already burning in such retched agony… it had no idea where to start.

But just as it was picking the first morsel from among the damned, it suddenly felt itself being…tugged somehow. It blinked, and then was gone, the cacophony of screams going unaltered as if it had never been there.

Seeing his long-term prisoner gone, Satan sighed. He had now lost two Cyberdemons, and probably wouldn't get a third anytime soon.

As he left to go shove a pineapple up Hitler's ass, he figured that it could be worse. He could be in a dramatic, twisted relationship between a mad dictator and a pussy nutritionist…

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Orochimaru watched as the group he had sent for finally was within seeing distance. It was perfect. All of them were there, and in perfect condition from the looks of it-

-and then Kimimaro stopped behind them, coughing up blood again from the looks of it. Orochimaru shook his head in disappointment as Kabuto. Standing at attention beside his master, gave an annoyed sigh and pushed his glasses up. The Snake Sannin knew that failing to find a cure for Kimimaro had been a great disappointment for Kabuto. Even more so for Orochimaru, who had lost access to such a wonderful body to inhabit…

As he watched Jugo turn to go back for the bone-user, Orochimaru suddenly noticed a twinkling light in the sky above the distant group. It looked like… it was getting brighter…

On instinct he, Kabuto, and almost all of the Sound shinobi outdoors looked away from the sudden shaft of bright light that fell down from the sky… the few unlucky ones that didn't were temporarily blinded as they accidently looked upon whatever it was.

As the light faded away, Orochimaru look out to where the light had been… and felt his extendable jaw drop. Nothing was left, nothing but scorched earth and glass. For a moment he was ecstatic, the curious genius in him desperate to find out how to replicate such a feat… and then he returned to the present, realizing that the blast zone was right where the Sound Four and the others had been. His eyebrows widened as his eyes desperately scanned the distance. They… they had to have survived! Even as the rational part of his mind repeated this he continued look. The whole plan for killing his old sensei relied on them, all eight of them! But though his eyes looked again and again, there was nothing left, not even any ashes to spit on in anger…

No. There, outside of the radius of smoldering destruction, lay Kimimaro. The pale teen had half the skin burned off his body, and his chest moved so softly that at first Orochimaru had pegged him for a corpse… but the boy was alive. The Snake Sannin turned to Kabuto, who was still transfixed by the entire event.

"What the Hell are you waiting for?! Kimimaro still lives, and unless you want to join the ones who didn't survive that blast, you'll retrieve his body and make sure that doesn't change!" As Kabuto rushed off to pick up the last of the Kaguya, Orochimaru shook his head in utter frustration. Couldn't things just go perfectly? It'd take a small miracle now to have something to give him the edge the eight of them together would have.

He had no way of knowing that hours from now, there would be one.

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Far, far off, in two distant and separate locations, two shinobi each watched in the distance as shafts of light seemed to beam down from the sky itself. They both stared for a moment as the spectacle ended, and then dropped whatever they were doing and started to make tracks for their home village, though one was reluctant in doing so as she snatched up a small pig and called for her assistant to catch up. They had to make good time if they were to reach Konoha as quickly as possible.

Unknowingly to each other, the two former teammates were headed home…

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As their cheer ended, the people of the Land of Waves suddenly raised their heads up to the sky, looking at the bright spots forming in the sky. Naruto grimaced; one spot seemed to be right above them…

As the shaft of power came down, Naruto barely had enough time to raise a massive wall of Darkness between the beam and himself and the people of Wave. Suddenly a blast of heat could be felt blowing around the wall, wide and high as it was. Naruto grimaced, pushing even more Darkness into the wall. He didn't even know if the attack was going to break through- the wall was so black he couldn't even see what was happening- but he was taking no chances.

In the chaos, no one noticed a ball of Light shoot down towards someone on the bridge… **(3)**

As Naruto held the wall up, he heard his friends voices echo in his head.

_Naruto-kun, what's going on? There are beams of light coming down in the distance in multiple directions, including yours!_

_Naruto! Are you alright?! Every Youthful ninja in the village can feel that power, whatever it is!_

_Naruto, reply this instant. What is the situation?_

_I'm alright guys, just hang tight._

_Alright, we'll-… Naruto, I need to check something out. I felt… something. I'll check in when I know more._

_Wait, what are you- Hina-hime? Hinata?!_

Naruto swore internally, but kept the wall up. At least he knew that, whatever this was, his friends were alright.

Finally, the heat seemed to come to an end. Naruto slowly let the wall dissipate, gripping his spear tightly in preparation… but he was not prepared for what was in front of him.

The beam had come down just in front of the bridge, flash-boiling the water in its circumference. It had even vaporized the steam. The only steam came from the water that had lapped against the shaft as it had worn off. The water now rushed into that bare spot, churning silt and ocean bottom like churning blood. The heat had been so great that the first couple feet of newly dried cement at the unfinished end of the bridge was now melted. The corpses from Shih's assault, along with Gato's body, were smoldering, the skin burned black or just burned off, prompting the few with stomach content left to expel it. Naruto let it register for a moment-the sheer power that had just been displayed, and how he had no damn clue what it was- before he noticed something at the end of the bridge… and his eyes widened in horror.

Only one time to date had a Heartless ever been 'injured'. Naruto had been tracking a B-rank bounty, and had let a few Shadows at him to test the man. Normally, the Heartless would simply make a few swipes, taking advantage of the fact that their appearance scared many people shitless. If the person dodged, it meant Naruto would personally get involved. This time however, the target had actually fought back, bringing a large battle axe down on a Shadow. The blade had been just too fast for the Shadow to flatten to the ground, and had split it in half. As the other Heartless brought the target down, Naruto had rushed over, and was relieved to find that the Heart was still intact. The attack had simply broken apart the Darkness-formed body, and it only took a simple new donation of Darkness from Naruto to restore a body to the Heart and make it a Heartless again.

This was different. Shih's Darkness body had completely been destroyed by his close to proximity to the beam of light… but apparently the damage had spread to his Heart as well. It flickered, fading in and out as if it was struggling to hold together and not vanish.

Naruto just started for a moment, his spear dropping to the bridge from a numb hand… and then suddenly he was kneeling in front of Shih's heart, Darkness desperately flowing from his hands into the Heart before him. It kept outpouring, despite the fact that Naruto had used up most of his Darkness reserve in making the wall. Yet there was no reformation of a Neo-Shadow's body… Shih's Heart just kept fading in and out. For the first time in a long while, Naruto's face had a look of utter panic and terror… he was about to lose someone.

"No… NO! Shih, don't die on me! You don't get to, you understand?! You've been here since the beginning. Ever since this whole thing started, you've been with me. I don't care whether I can do this without you, I want you there!" Inari started towards Naruto, wanting to do something to help, when Tazuna grabbed his grandson's arm and shook his head. The entire crowd looked on; some were moved to tears as Naruto desperately did… whatever he was doing to save his apparent friend. Naruto himself was just pouring out more power, feeling his Darkness running low. Despite this, and how close his friend apparently was to dying –again, in a way- Naruto smiled sadly as tears began to fall.

"I remember the first day we met… you scared the Hell out of me that day. But you know… everything from that moment on just got better and better. I met a few wonderful people that are now the most precious people I know. Shih… you can't die on me. You're special. Lee… he was my first human friend, and my best friend, like the brother I never had. Iruka… heh, he was proof people's ideas about me could actually change, even though I'd give little hope for everyone else. He's kind of like a dad. Teuchi and Ayame were the first to see me for me, without having to change, and now they're like family too. Shino's one the best guys I know. Hinata… I ended up falling madly in love with her. But you Shih… you were the first friend I ever had, and the first Heart I ever gave a chance as a Heartless." The tears were falling faster now as it was becoming apparent that his efforts weren't doing anything.

"So you can't die here, got it? You gotta help with all the big plans we made... you gotta be there to help me tease Shino and Lee when they finally find girlfriends… be the 'Best Heartless' when Hinata and I marry… you… you have to protect your little brother. Sasuke is over there. You showed me memories of how he was… how you want him to be again. I can't do that alone Shih. If you die, any hopes you have for him are gone."

"So stop this, ok? You… you have to stay alive, understand Shih?! _Do you understand Itachi?!_"

Suddenly, as if hearing that name was a kind of password, something changed. Itachi's Heart suddenly seemed to stabilize… and then Darkness burst forth as if a dam had broken to rubble. Naruto turned his face away as the raw power whipped around them both, and the crowd behind them averted their eyes as well.

No one noticed a small, black ball leave someone's body and zoom towards the two of them… **(4)**

Finally, the storm of Darkness seemed to suck back in on itself, and ended as quickly as it had started. Naruto turned back, and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the Darkness forming around the Heart again, a body slowly forming. Naruto's eyes closed as tears of happiness flowed out.

"If that had been the end… Kami, I don't know how I would have handled that Shih. We risk so much for our plans… but I never wanted anyone to die for them. Our group always seemed to have this kind of luck to it, where it seemed like we'd never die… we almost lost that today." As Naruto started to chuckle in relief, he heard the people behind him start gasping in what sounded like shock and surprise. Naruto opened his eyes, expecting to see Shih the Neo-Shadow… and instead saw a pair of legs. Naruto looked up… and only two words summed up what was in front of him.

"…Oh… shit…"

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"Leader-sama. If our business is concluded here, I'm going to take a… vacation before we make our last move for the remaining two Jinchuriki. I've earned it." Without even waiting for a confirmation the former Waterfall shinobi stalked out of the cave. Had their leader been at the sealing in person he would have never made such a brazen move, but there were nothing behind him but astral projections, Sasori, Deidara, and Hidan… and Kakuzu was desperate to spend even a little time away from the latter. Find a nice place to stay, buy a nice meal, maybe a woman or 10. Bounties had been good right before the sealing. Thoughts of how much he was willing to splurge with ran through his head as he left the other three members of Akatsuki with the statue.

Later, when he had time to think about it, he'd realize that his impulsive brazenness had saved his life.

As Kakuzu left the cave, the same shaft of light that had burned away so many other spots around the Elemental Continent descended upon the cave itself. The thick stone taking up hundreds of feet of space above the chamber melted and ran like gray wax under a candle's flame. Kakuzu flung himself as far away as possible, shielding his eyes from the white shaft of light. His robes smoldered.

Within the cave, as the ceiling of stone finally melted, the statue itself came under 'assault' as it had not yet been un-summoned. For a moment it seemed to stand strong against the barrage of light, steam rising from the stoned monstrosity... and then it too melted and ran along the cave floor, until the heat turned it to glass.

It was gone. So too where the astral projections of the far-off Akatsuki members, the space they occupied temporarily disrupted by the heat.

And so too, were the three present members that Kakuzu had left behind…

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As the light had enveloped him, Deidara had barely a fraction of a second to feel his flesh burn. Then his body was gone, and his Heart and Soul had only maybe a scant 10 seconds before the power wiped them away too.

However, Deidara didn't realize this. He was wondering how he was alive, when that… power, or whatever it was, had obviously killed him.

In the third second, it came to him… he understood with crystal clarity, beyond comprehension.

It… it was Art…

Even though his body had been burned away, he could still see the bright light, feel the incredible power… what else could it be but an incredible explosion? Deidara vaguely wondered if his **Ultimate Art**, consuming the clay with the mouth on his chest, could match this… no. Who knew how powerful this explosion was?

And he was part of it. A natural art, more powerful than anything he'd ever seen, and he was becoming one with it!

Had Deidara any true eyes left, he would have wept, with more joy than he had ever experienced in his young life. He had become one with the ultimate explosion, the pinnacle of transient moments!

HE… WAS… **ART**!

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Unlike Deidara, Hidan felt his body being destroyed. His _immortal_ body, one that had survived countless battles, slowly burned and flared like a lit match. He screamed in a primal reaction, but his mind was awash in joy. Every nerve felt on fire, every synapse was awash with pain… oh, Lord Jashin SURELY was pleased! Hidan felt himself lost in a nirvana of suffering, and spent a moment pitying every victim he had every slain. Whatever their pain, they couldn't possibly have suffered as much as he did now. Any moment, he would be taken into his dark God's arms…

In truth, Hidan's body was finally being burned away completely. In truth, any moment his Heart and Soul would fall prey to the last of this shaft of power and would be forever erased…

Except that, as it was at times, faith provided a long deserved reward.

Hidan suddenly felt himself tugged. There was no other word for it- one moment he was awash in pain, and then suddenly he felt reality rushing by, blurring more and more until all turned to black. He suddenly felt an itch, one that grew and grew until it encompassed his entire… body. For indeed, his body suddenly seemed to reform, like a ghost wavering into being. Even his signature scythe was in hand. Hidan turned every which way, waiting for something to appear from this infinite darkness.

And then… it did. If the world around him seemed nothing but pitch black, what now strode towards him was darker than the foulest, blackest soul. It seemed a scarecrow, limbs long and spindly, hands long and clawed. It had no actual eyes or mouth- instead, the spaces where its mouth and eyes would be were somehow darker than the rest of its body, if that was even possible.

Hidan cocked his head at the figure, and finally greeted it in the appropriate fashion.

"So, who in the pig-licking fuck are you?" The figure stopped, and seemed to look over Hidan before the extreme black spot that was its mouth grew into a twisted smile. Any other being would have pissed itself just by looking… Hidan just shivered slightly. It WAS scary… but somehow it was pleasing in a way.

"For so long… I slaughtered so many, entire worlds, simply for the joy of it. Of reveling in my ability to take life as I chose and to cause such incredible suffering. And the even greater joy of toying with their souls, for by killing them I owned their souls… but then Kami and Shinigami forbid my wholesale slaughter, saying I was becoming boring, whatever that means. I had to limit my fun, take possession of souls through a much more reserved method… and so, I created a set of scripture, and cast them onto a random world… yours. I knew that with humanities near-limitless potential, there would be those that would follow them." Hidan gulped, feeling a rare emotion-nervousness. Could this… Kami, could it be?

"It worked. Humans picked up where my slaughter had left off, and though it was slow it was progressing. And I had all my former victims to toy with to pass the time… and yet, none of them took my words truly to heart, only using them as an excuse to slaughter, and to enjoy it." The figure paused, and then smiled once more at Hidan. "But you… you my child, were willing to learn every word of my scripture, to slay only for my sake, and to risk even your life in exchange for immortality, just so you could slaughter forever in my name. The only one of my 'faith', my religion, to go so far… truly, you are my greatest disciple."

Hidan fell to his knees. Never in his life had he done so voluntarily, though it had happened in battle. But this… this was…

"… Ja… Jashin-sama?" Nodding softly, the dark God grasped Hidan's chin and lifted the man to his feet.

"Rise, my child, and come with me…" Suddenly, the world around them started to melt away, the black giving way to a bright sun. As his eyes adjusted, Hidan looked around and noticed that as far as the eye could see, there were people. Young, old, men and women… and he recognized them all. How could he not… when he had been the one to kill every single one of them? Hidan started and turned as the still pitch-black figure of his Lord walked in front of him, suddenly holding a black scythe not unlike Hidan's. "As I said, while I watched men kill in my name, I toyed with their victim's souls. This is my personal sanctum, where I live out my eternal life. Every person I had every slain, and every one now killed in my name… I claim their very being by Kami and Shinigami's rules, and pleasure myself here in their slaughter. And as long as there are humans, there will be people to give me new people to play with… when your old world ends, I can simply move on to a new one."

"Lord Jashin… I do not understand. Why am I here, in this most holy place?" Jashin turned to Hidan, and let a hand grip Hidan's shoulder, as if the two were old comrades.

"Normally, what happened on your world would have destroyed your Heart and Soul… instead, I took them and brought them to this… my world. Just as I've done with every life claimed in my name. I've kept you whole… for your reward. From now until the end of time, you can kill. Kill and kill and kill, to your hearts content. Any torture or cruel act you wish to perform upon them, you may do so without consequence. And every time they 'die' they will simply reform and experience rebirth… just so we can kill them all over again. You will be the first mortal to join me in slaying not only your victims, but every victim ever killed in my name and those to come… a never-ending, always changing paradise of bloodshed and the screams to follow. No sleep, no hunger, only the chance of joining me in eternal happiness." Hidan stared for a moment, as if unable to believe this was real… before he felt his legs gave out again. He fell onto both knees, his head cast downward.

"My… my Lord, this is a most blessed gift. I thank you, Lord Jashin, for deeming me worthy…." Hidan stood, scythe in hand, and turned to the countless terrified masses around them… but now, every trace of reverence that had filled him before was gone. Now, there was only a joy and bloodlust unlike anything he'd ever felt in his long life. "Alright you little pissant shit-stain cocksuckers! I'm going to enjoy this. Your blood will flow in rivers around us, and then I'll take more of you and drown you in it, before you come back and then I'll do even more sick shit to you!"

Jashin roared with approving laughter, and dashed ahead of his most loyal disciple. His scythe came down, splitting a young boy from ear to pelvis. The two halves came away from each other, though the boy was still screaming with two uneven halves of a mouth. Even as the twos sections of his body started to draw to each other and reform, Jashin was already rushing into a crowd, scythe and limbs flailing in ecstasy. Hidan watched in wonder… and then grinned and started after his dark God. He paused only to stomp down, caving in the boy's face. As what was presumably the child's mother finally reached her son's body, Hidan elbowed her, crushing the arm in two and snapping all of her ribs. He spit upon her, roared with shrieking laughter, and then dived into a different group, mimicking his Lord's wild slaughter.

Truly this was Heaven. Murder and murder until the end of time…

Finally, there would be enough fucking blood!

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Despite the pain of his strange, tortured existence, Sasori didn't actually want his existence to end… not yet anyway. It was why when he created his puppet body, he took the strongest wood he could find and infused it with massive amounts of chakra. Hiruko as well. It would take monstrous strength or power to destroy either his true body or the one he used as a cover…it was why he lasted a few seconds in the beam of heat and light before his body was gone.

In truth, he witnessed the whole thing with a numb shock. He reached for the scroll for the **Red Secret Technique** only to find it had already turned to burning ash. Hiruko burned like a giant spark, before the beam broke through to his real body. Sasori realized… he was actually going to die.

Despite it, he could only think of Grandma Chiyo. He had hurt her in leaving, he had always known that… but the first time, for some reason he couldn't fathom, he wished he could make amends to her. Poor Chiyo… poor Sasori. He had lost her, lost his parents, lost everything but the humanity he had wished to abandon for so long, in order to escape pain.

His body burned away at last, and now his Heart and Soul were being destroyed in that burning power. Soon he would no longer exist.

And yet…

And yet, though he had no longer had eyes, he could see Grandmother Chiyo, smiling at him as she had always done when he was a little boy, her eyes full of the love he now so sadly wished he had taken, and now also forgiveness for his sin.

Though his ears had been burned away, he could hear his mother and father asking him to get up and come with them, their loving, happy voices warming him as nothing ever had.

Though he had no mouth, he could somehow feel himself smiling for the first time in so very, very long a time…

And though he had no hands, Sasori could feel his parents grasp his hands, suddenly those of a young boy again, and together they walked away…

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As the light faded, Kakuzu stood slowly, blinking spots out of his vision. In his very long and extended life, there had never been anything like that. He'd never heard of such an attack... still, when they had all of the Biju, even what had just happened would pale in comparison…

Except it wasn't meant to be.

Kakuzu felt his mouth drop. The statue… it had somehow survived whatever had just happened… though survived was too kind a work. The manacled stone hands had melted down into lumps, still red hot. The head itself had only partially melted; the face was still just intact. But as he looked closer, Kakuzu could see that the seven eyes that had been open before were now devoid of any pupils, as if being within that giant beam of light had blinded it. He stared in shock at what was left, even as around him the astral projections of the organization's remaining members came into being… and then they too stared in shock.

"It… it was this fucking beam of light. It came down from the sky, burned through the stone like nothing… I don't know how the statue is still standing…" Pein's projection strode forward. If he felt any rage, it didn't show anywhere in his body.

"When I designed this jutsu and the statue to go with it, I installed several seals as a backup. If any attack was to be made on it, the statue would draw on the power of one of the Biju to strengthen itself and resist being damaged… whatever this was forced it to use up so much of the Biju's chakra that they had no core of chakra left to regenerate with. Their lives are actually pattered out…"

"Pattered… out?" They group turned to Kakuzu, the only in-the-flesh member there for the moment. His hands gripped so tightly that blood flowed from his fists. "They are dead. All seven of them. Even if we could remake this statue, seven of the nine Biju needed to power this are dead… and you say they're fucking pattered out?!" Kakuzu roared, and then swung an arm behind his back. As he brought it back up in a circle, the threads detached, letting his arm shoot into an arm, coming down hard on Pein's projection. It was pointless, but the old Waterfall shinobi had to vent on **something**. "What now? The last two years of effort has just been made worthless! Not to mention that I can't sense Hidan, Sasori, or Deidara anywhere. We lost our puppet expert, our explosive expert, and our other 'immortal'… what the FUCK happens now?" Kakuzu half expected to be told to be silent, to hold his tongue. He didn't expect Pein to begin chuckling.

"It is true, this is a momentous setback, one that I did not foresee… and yet, I DID plan for it. I started working on a backup method long before this day. Even without the other seven, we can still take the Ichibi and the Kyuubi. Their power alone can suffice, if used wisely… nothing has changed. All of you, take the time before Konoha's Chunin exam to rest. We'll attack as planned… but now, we have a new objective as well. In order to assure less retaliation…"

"We will raze Konoha to the ground."

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As the other members nodded, and their projections faded from view, only those of Pein, Konan, and 'Tobi' remained. The masked shinobi turned to the other two and said, "I must admit, that was very impressive. If I didn't know as much as I do, I would never have seen through that bald-faced lie you just told."

"It had to be done, master Madara. I could not risk losing their support. Especially Kakuzu, since only he knows of the location of our funds."

"True. We'd better get that from him later."

"And now what?" Konan's head dropped in reverence beside her God, though her voice was still solid as stone. "Without the seven Biju, your plan involving the nine-tailed fox is much more risky."

"Yes, though I had planned for this before I first enlisted you both. This will be much more difficult, now that your method of containing Biju is useless to us. I will simply have to take greater risk in taking the fox's power… in the end it makes no difference. It only means my victory will be sweeter in the end. I will risk everything, and in doing so my victory will be without equal. My Sharingan will return to full strength and more… enough. Prepare for what is to come."

The three astral projections faded. In Rain country, Pein's eyes snapped open. His fist suddenly snapped out to the side, and without warning a steel wall to his side crumpled in as if an invisible fist had bash against it.

"My dream… our world of peace… how will it come about now? Everything I had planned is ruined." For the first time in a long while, the one who had become a God through pain felt lost… and then he felt a slender hand grip his shoulder. He turned and saw Konan… his 'Angel', as his followers had deemed her. Despite what had just happened, it was a smile that graced her face, not a frown.

"It will come. Just as you were transformed through pain, so too will the world come to change as it must. It WILL be harder, and you may even have to risk your own self, bring the pain to all of mankind through your own hands… but if you do not show others the way… if you **cannot**… then who will? Please my Lord…" Pein stared, before for the first time on his normally stoic face, his mouth turned up into the slightest smile.

"it is inspiring, your faith. Even when your God questions, you hold true to our path. Truly you are then Angle sent to help me save this world." His hand cupped her cheek, and Konan blushed from what was a rare physical contact with her God. "Yes… yes. Even if we only have the first and last of the nine, we can still use them. It will take so much longer than we had planned… but that may be better. The longer the pain, the longer the change… the more clearly will the truth be laid bare. They WILL understand… that I will save them through pain. And then they will see my benevolence. I… WE will make them see, won't we my angel?" Konan nodded, then lean up to rest her lips against his cheek. Her God smiled a bit wider, which only made her heart soar all the higher. Pein then turned to look away from her, into the distance… where, before he had reestablished contact with Kakuzu, one of his bodies had found the molten, glassed remains of Hanzo's stronghold. "After all, without that craven fool, Rain now belongs to me. The people here will see their God triumphant… here, over my foe, and then triumphant against the world itself."

"Now go. Send my word to the people my Angel… tell them that their God lives, and our foe lies fallen."

"And then tell them to prepare, for a most Holy war."

She nodded, and then leapt from the high building upon which they stood. A moment later, he heard the whistling of air over her paper wings. It was so beautiful, watching an angel descend…

Pein raised his hand to the cheek Konan had kissed… and in another place, having watched with Pein's eyes and felt with the body of Deva path, Nagato began weeping, wishing that kiss had truly been his… **(5)**

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Madara's eyes flickered open. He sighed, and then looked around until he spotted Itachi's Nobody standing behind him.

"Get bored waiting for me?"

"Hnn… if I had a Heart, here is where I would find that amusing and chuckle. I do not get 'bored' any more, you know that."

"Bah. This is why I hate you Nobodies. No sense of humor. Life is too precious to go without any humor-"

"That is irrelevant, and at best your opinion only. What is our next move?" Madara shook his masked face and started walking towards the throne in the middle of the Uchiha hideout. Normally, the old memories would had kept his mind distracted, but circumstances of the current situation caused him to find himself suddenly focused with crystal-like clarity.

"We will prepare for the attack on Konoha as planned. I will simply have to take the nine-tails container myself, and find a way to control the beast a different way with the Immortal Sharingan." He paused, turning to giving the Nobody a wide, unseen smile. "Then, you may take what you seek. Are you sure though that you still want them? He is still your brother-"

"He is Itachi's brother. Despite being his Soul, and having his physical flesh body, I am not Itachi Uchiha. Logically, Sasuke is therefore no concern of mine. I will take his eyes… I do not chose to allow my existence to end at this time."

"Tch, totally emotionless… you Nobodies are the epitome of the 'ideal shinobi'. Fine then. Still, Sasuke may not have the Mangekyo Sharingan yet… I don't know if you can gain the Immortal version like I did if they are not at that level yet."

"It matters not. I will risk it regardless. Without those eyes, the eyes of this body will soon deteriorate as yours once did. Without them and the Sharingan, the probability of my continued existence will diminish greatly."

"Heh… despite your lack of emotion, it almost seems like you just don't want to die because you love living." Itachi's Nobody cocked his head, and smiled a cold, humorless smile, devoid of any life.

"You mistake me for one still capable of love… like my Heart, wherever that pathetic excuse of my other half is wasting his existence away." Itachi turned and strode from the throne room. Madara watched him leave, and as he sat into the highly raised seat he chuckled sadly in pity at the heartless being that aided him.

"Brother… you'd love this one, if only just to tease him… I'm close brother. I hope you're watching. Soon, we'll begin living…"

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The sun had finally begun to set on the horizon of the Land of Waves. It cast radiant orange and purple hues against the clouds, creating swirls of color that would make most artists weep. From the edge of the cliff upon which he stood, it seemed like the sky was alight with fire.

Naruto watched it for a while, and then turned to the Search Ghost beside him. He grinned; this was going to be a major first. He nodded, and then the Search Ghost let the first eye, still resting in its socket, shine bright yellow upon Naruto. As it did, a special Darkness-based seal within its body glowed…

And back in a clearing in Konoha, the seal's identical twin glowed within another Search Ghost. It's second eye, dangling from a chain unlike its other eyes, suddenly glowed bright yellow… and then it cast forth a beam of light, that coalesced and came together… until a see-through, life-sized projection of Naruto stood before Hinata, Lee, and Shino. Its other eye cast a yellow light onto the three young shinobi…

And back in Wave, the first Search Ghost projected a life-sized projection of the group before Naruto.

It had taken much experimenting, but Naruto had at last perfected visual communication. Any Search Ghost with the seal planted inside it could do what these two were currently doing… perfect audio and visual picture communication over even great distances.

Naruto smiled at the success of his work, and then smiled even wider as he saw his love and his closest friends.

"It's good to see you all."

"Indeed. I knew that your most Youthful spirit could not be extinguished so easily. And now this triumph is only icing on a most delicious cake!"

"Ain't it the truth… Hinata, what did you find?"

"It's… weird. I'll explain when you return, but let's just say I took care of what might have been a dangerous problem."

**Forgive me for interrupting this happy little moment, but I am curious. Where might Shih be? And how did the plan go? Do we have what we need?**

"Oh Ozma, did you doubt me? We have everything we wanted… and so much more." Naruto gestured below the cliff. To the group back in Konoha, the view shifted from Naruto to a massive drop… down to a huge valley at the foot of the cliff wall. There, Heartless in the hundreds were clearing out the trees.

"It's perfect. The people whole-heartedly consent to the idea, and have given us full support. It's a perfect location, protected by sea and possessing only one link to the mainland that can be destroyed and rebuilt at any time. I've already contacted Sukahara Shipping. The materials we purchased are already in transit, and will arrive within a day. Kakashi and the others are currently asleep back at Tazuna's and none the wiser. And a clone is already on its way to the Fire Daimyo. At this rate, the construction will take only days, and by the time we're ready to move in, the Daimyo will have given his consent."

Lee grinned, almost jumping out of his weights in excitement.

"At last, our Youthful plan is coming together. We've waited so long for this day!"

"Indeed. It's almost time. We simply need to facilitate our plans within Konoha itself, and we'll be ready."

"That's right…" Naruto grinned, and sat back onto the cliff's edge, watching the Heartless work below.

"And then, just like we've been dreaming, Yamigakure will rise like a dark, shining star…"

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_**Preview:**_

_Hinata: What… what in Kami's name are you?_

_?: I am terror. I am fear. I am your end, and the end of all._

_?: You will scream before this day is through, and then your soul will give power to me._

_Hinata: Is that so? Well, my Soul isn't so easy to take._

_?: You cannot stop me… Soul Calibur is not here to save you, or anyone else…_

_Next Time: The Greatest Nightmare. It's Hinata's deadliest fight to date Naruto!_

_?: BURN! Burn now, with the quickening of everlasting __**DARKNESS**__!!!_

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**(1): I considered 'Dark Finger' but I already took something from Gundam.**

**(2): Yes, Sai is dead, angering millions of Yaoi fans… yeah, sorry bout that.**

**(3): You'll get it a chapter or two from now. Don't wanna give all the secrets away just yet…**

**(4): See (3).**

**(5): It'll be awhile before you get this. Don't worry, it'll all come together cleanly soon enough…**

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Whole lotta shit has been happening, hasn't it? Making so many events happen all at once took quite some time, but I'm happy with the result. It's becoming like a complicated novel. So many different events, but they'll all come together into one big… well, you'll see.

Well, I need a mental break now. The next chapter will be an interlude fight so that I can wrap up the mysterious figure that escaped from Hell, and then back to the main story.

As always, love those juicy, detailed, meaningful reviews.

Ja ne!


	14. The Greatest Nightmare

_**MUY IMPORTANTE!:**_ Keep in mind that this chapter is an interlude chapter. That part from the last chapter, where Hinata left during the whole light show to 'check something out'? This is that period of time, before the very end of the chapter. Technically, this is a flashback chapter. I just didn't want to put this in a normal chapter.

There is a story on this site, where after the Valley of the End episode, Naruto formed a massive group for hire with nine captains, including Itachi, Temujin, Haku, Kimimaro, Orihime. Also had Armstrong, Altair, and a few others from other Anime… anyone know which I'm talking about? Thought it was "The Nine" or something, but that isn't getting me anywhere…

_**SPOILER:**_

YES! Finally! I was starting to think that they'd keep Hinata from ever telling, and that when the manga ended she'd just be considering it more… but she finally said she loved Naruto!

At this point, if they kill her off too, or if Naruto turns her down for Sakura… I might just turn into one of those people who rant about how the manga isn't going how they fantasized it… and they piss me off, so that would be a big thing for me.

6-tailed Naruto also looked awesome, like a freaky Kaguya thing… just hope those aren't his actual bones, or he's gonna be paraplegic…

And no joke… Nagato looks about how I pictured him looking long ago, though not with that 4-legged pedestal thing…

_**SPOILER END**_

As always, my seriously heart-felt thanks go to me beta, Narai Moroha. It's good to have someone smart for when I seriously just fuck up.

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Fourteen**

_**The Greatest Nightmare. It's Hinata's deadliest fight to date Naruto!**_

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Hinata didn't think the day could feel better. After a long week of hard sparing, training, and nightmarish D-Rank missions – seriously, how was teamwork or anything at all involved with shoveling out a compost heap? Kurenai had decided to give Team 8 a break, and then left to catch up with Anko. Shino had left, citing a need to work with some of the family insects at home, though Hinata knew he was in truth spending time under Ozma's training regimen in a mountain range some distance away. She'd watched once with her Byakugan… how the boy wasn't crippled from the brutality of it, she didn't yet know.

Kiba had _attempted_ to flirt with her, though his eyes proved that he was only thinking with half his first head… but with all of his second head. Hinata was seriously wondering if he had some kind of special sense, unlike any other Inuzuka, that somehow saw through the multi-layered Genjutsu seals hiding her mature body. She had turned him down nicely, but could tell that he wasn't really seeing it as, 'You're nice, but I'm not interested in a relationship with you.' It was more like 'Try next time, and you can touch my boobies!' Damn 12-year old boy hormones… still, he was gone for a while, which gave her some needed privacy.

Hinata had been resting in the branches of a large tree in Konoha's forests, wishing Lee wasn't training with his father at the time, when she felt a cold stone seem to drop in her stomach. She couldn't explain it, but it somehow felt like something… bad was about to happen.

And then, her fear was proven true.

On the horizon, in multiple locations, the sky suddenly seemed to break. Large beams of light seemed to rain down from the sky, so tall that even far out of sight they were visible. Even as she activated her Byakugan, she could tell they were far off. One even seemed to be located not too far off in comparison…

_That's… that's the direction the Land of Waves is in!_

She immediately felt her seal warm, her memory/thoughts flung across distances to her love…

_Naruto-kun, what's going on? There are beams of light coming down in the distance in multiple directions, including yours!_

She waited with bated breath for an answer, barely paying attention to the others as they tried to contact him. It wasn't just her love for him that worried her, though that was the largest part. Much of their plans hinged on Naruto. On his somehow incredible ability to 'sweet talk' people into joining them, on his personality, ability, and power… he had told her she was capable of carrying the plan on without him if something ever went wrong, but it was his plan. He HAD to be there!

_I'm alright guys, just hang tight._

She sighed in relief, thanking whatever Kami was watching that he was okay.

_Alright, we'll-_

Hinata suddenly stopped for a moment, turning her head away from the light show on the horizon. She felt… something nearby. Like suddenly every good feeling had been stolen away from her, replaced with every negative emotion imaginable… she felt all that, concentrated in a spot not far off.

_Naruto, I need to check something out. I felt… something. I'll check in when I know more._

Ignoring Naruto's call, Hinata leaped off in the direction of the weird instance. She didn't stop- not even when one of those beams of light came down not too far off from Konoha, in a forested section. She simply kept going, and prayed that no one had gotten hurt. Whatever she had sensed, it had felt… wrong. She couldn't stop.

Hinata eventually came to a small clearing, already having pulled on her silvery-gray Shadow cloak and hood. ((A.N.: Just noticed, almost everything big happens in a clearing…)) She immediately picked up on the small fires that had seemed to be burning randomly all around, and the strange smell of sulfur…

And then, she saw it. The figure seemed male, but she couldn't tell, for it was obviously not human. It had no true feet, but 3 thick, blunted talons that appeared from the bottom of its azure leg armor. The armor on the leg – nay, the whole body – was jagged, segmented, and dark azure, like some twisted version of a knight in shining armor from old, old stories. The knees and legs had thick gold bands in intricate designs, and the armor itself had splashes of crimson steel, almost like blood spatters. Its limbs must have been thick, for the armor gave more than enough room, but she couldn't see any flesh…

At least, not until she reached the torso. It's right arm… it seemed a twisted mockery of a claw, molted and twisted and necrotic brown flesh. Three massive clawed talons replaced the normal five fingers. The arm disappeared into shoulder armor, from which protruded 3 large, curved horn-like blades.

The other arm seemed more normal… as relative as the term was at the moment. It was actually covered in armor, though at the wrist a bare, blue, clawed hand appeared, gripping a massive weapon. The shoulder armor there instead had massive orange spikes protruding.

Her eyes then moved to the middle… one of the strangest parts. Right above the waist, there was a ringing row of bottom teeth, large and jagged. The chest above had a matching set facing down. Between them was… nothing. Not a scrap of flesh to connect the two halves… that job seemed to be filled by the mysterious, glowing, dark-purple orb where its organs should have been. From its hips protruded even more massive orange spikes.

It's head… Hinata paused. She couldn't see any of the thick neck below the armor. A very long, thin orange spike stood erect from the forehead like a wicked horn. It had no hair in back, but a mass of purple energy, like the ball in its chest, which flowed and whipped around like a mockery of hair. The only flesh she could even see was the bit around its eyes, the same necrotic flesh as its right arm. Those eyes… they were crimson red, and held an ethereal glow. She had to turn away from them- even glancing at them seemed to chill her Soul, literal and metaphorical.

And finally, her eyes took in the weapon clutched in its left hand… and she froze once more, almost wishing she had kept her gaze on the thing's eyes. That clawed hand gripped a handle that seemed to be made of the same flesh as it's right arm, the bottom ending in a spike and bat-like 'wings'. It led up into a massive orange blade with strange carvings along its. What truly drew her gaze though, was in the middle of the hilt…

It was surrounded by six spikes of flesh, all radiating out from the object. She blinked, as if to dispel the impossibility she was seeing. In the middle of the hilt was… a crimson colored eye.

And it moved. Kami above, it was moving, swiveling and blinking as if taking in the world around it. She began to sweat, praying it was just glass and was always doing that...

And then it stopped. Stopped right on her, gazing along with the eyes of its wielder. Without yet understanding, she knew it was staring into her soul, as sure as when she stared at a person or Nobody with her Kyomugan. The being slowly turned its sword, and she took a step back as she saw the same eye on the other side – not an identical eye, but the same damn eye, she just knew it.

The sword… both it and its master somehow gave of the same exact feeling… evil. Never before had she been so sure of such wicked intention. She'd always tried to judge objectively before making a decision… but here, it wasn't necessary. The… the **monster** before her simply radiated despair, blood-lust, rage, and wicked intent from every pore. And it didn't even have any.

"Kami… what are you?" It cocked its head slightly, as if finding it a foolish question. It then spoke, and the voice, thick and guttural and deep, echoed with the same feelings its body gave off. What most frightened Hinata was the voice seemed to come from its head… then the chest-mouth… and then the sword. All at once.

"_**I am the ultimate weapon… I am Nightmare… I am your end."**_

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It was impressed. Older fighters than her, entire armies, had frozen entirely from fear. The fact that she could still speak, was apparently tensing in preparation to fight, was remarkable… not that it made a difference. She WOULD die. All died. Any who had crossed the Azure Knight died-

No. SHE had survived. Beaten Nightmare even. Xianghua, that 'Calibur'-wielding bitch. How it had survived the void after that loss was still impossible to discern. And then Raphael Sorel… he'd stabbed Nightmare in the eye… the EYE! Upon Soul Edge itself! It was unthinkable, that a mere human had pierced Nightmare's very core, and though the blow had not been completely fatal, it had HURT…

And then Siegfried. That mere boy had somehow kept his own soul intact, and had even regained his sense of self, and separated himself from Nightmare.

Nightmare remembered that last fight. It had fought an intense battle atop the Tower of Remembrance, molten lava oozing around the base as if their battle was ripping gashes in the skin of some great titan. In the end, that damn brat had beaten Nightmare. Beaten, yes, but not killed. No, not killed at all. Even with Soul Calibur at his side, the boy still couldn't accomplish that…

But then, as the boy was in the process of sacrificing himself to seal them all away – something that would have only been a temporary setback – it had been pulled away. Not just from the tower, but from that land-nay, that world. Whatever higher power had taken Nightmare pulled it so fast that reality became a blur… and when it cleared, it was Nightmare was far from 'home'.

That Hell… surely, it could have been nothing else but Hell. It had reeked of sulfur and fire, as in every old human story. And all around Nightmare, the apparent damned were endlessly tortured, in every imaginable way.

It had been so much to watch… for what felt like centuries. Maybe it had been. Who knew how time worked in that place. And then, Nightmare began what was to be a slow dip into total insanity – not because it had been directly, but because it wasn't able to join in! Agony without equal, and the cage in which it was sealed prevented it from joining in.

Every day became a journey into insanity, though eventually it had returned to rationality… and after hundreds of 'years' of work, it had attracted its monstrous guardian. Even 'dead', Nightmare could still take souls, and that soul had been the most delicious it had ever taken, no matter the fact absorbing the thing took years. And now, it was free once more…

Still, that had been the past. And the girl that stood before it now… she was different. It could sense it somehow, something familiar. Whatever it was, she was obviously hiding her power. No matter. It would drag that power out and then crush it. The helplessness she would feel would make her soul all the more delectable.

After all, its victory was all but assured. For it had noticed an important fact, one that had been present in its mind from the moment Nightmare had come to this new world. Unlike on its own world, where Nightmare could sense its opposite even from around the world…

It did not sense Soul Calibur here.

That sword did not exist on this world, wherever it was. And if nothing else had ever been able to match the power of Soul Edge, then this girl, and any other being on this new world, would be equally helpless.

Nightmare relished the slaughter that would soon come. This time, going uninterrupted was assured…

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Hinata grimaced. Not because she didn't want to fight. Hinata could feel blood-lust, wicked intent, hatred, and a hundred other negative feelings rolling off of it in waves… she couldn't wait to wipe it from the planet. Neither was it fear. There was fear to be sure, but she had already set herself against it.

No, Hinata grimaced because this fight could be risky to her cover. She knew from her experimentation with Naruto that normal Shinobi couldn't sense Darkness or Nothingness the same way they did chakra. They apparently only felt it in very large quantities, and even then they didn't know what it was. But this thing before her was strong, very strong. Whatever power it had, whatever it was, was pouring off in waves. If a shinobi could sense it, then someone would be arriving soon. And if they couldn't she might be forced to fight seriously, which could draw attention. She couldn't let her cover be blown, not this early… but there was no way she could simply stand aside and let anyone else deal with this freak.

Taking a sigh to steel herself, Hinata concentrated on a seal upon her arm, and in a poof Saix was bared in her hand, held behind her reverse-style as always. Nightmare, having watched the strange summoning of the stranger weapon, now gave a chuckle in its disturbing, dark, gravelly voice.

"_**Is that how you hold your sword? A pity. I had hoped your skill matched the strength I can tell you are hiding…"**_ As Hinata's eyes widened slightly, amazed it could tell when her own Jonin sensei was completely clueless, Nightmare roared out in terrible delight at the prospect of another battle, another soul upon which to feed. It rushed forward, strangely-taloned feet tearing the earth out under it. Its massive sword came up before coming down in a killing arc, the sword's sickening eye blazing hungrily.

Hinata grimaced, bringing her blade up to block. Despite her earlier thoughts based its massive frame, Nightmare was actually fast for a non-shinobi. Her grimace increased as she felt it's blade connect with hers- unfortunately, her earlier estimate of its strength was correct and more.

Nightmare did not even hesitate, but brought Soul Edge up before striking down again. Hinata stepped back, getting a firm base to block again. Despite her own strength, she was actually on the defensive, something she hadn't done in a while. She promised herself to double the amount of Samurai Nobodies she spared with if she got out of the fight.

Slowly, Nightmare drove the kunoichi back. Its blade continued to come up and down after each block by the pale warrior. It gave no room for her to retaliate- each strike was fast enough to come down again in time to prevent her from recovering from the stunning blow of each attack and moving. Hinata's hand started to become numb under the constant barrage of inhumanly strong slashes.

Finally, the monster seemed to hold up the sword a second longer than the other attacks, as if tired of the game and wanting to crush her defense. However, that was all that Hinata needed to leap to the side. She winced as the ground broke easily under its sword, a small crater left as it drew up.

However, the game suddenly had changed. Nightmare was fast… but Hinata knew even the average Jonin was much faster. And she was above them. She began to run and leap around Nightmare, so fast that to the armored terror she was naught but a blur. It roared in anger, slashing at the air in an attempt to cut down what it saw as quite the annoying fly.

Hinata stopped behind its back as it brought it's sword down again. It was helpless. She leaped forward, slashing upwards across its back-

And then leaped back, eyes widening again. Despite her own impressive strength, and the strength and edge of her blade, the armor only had a small scratch across the dark azure metal. Her eyes widened more as the scratch began to shrink, as if the armor itself was re-growing. In mere seconds, the scratch was gone, as if she had never landed a hit. Nightmare slowly turned to face her, and then laughed.

"_**I was wrong… you're not a fly… but a quick little wasp, foolishly stinging at a mammoth beast. It is futile. I truly hope you understand this, for that feeling of futility will make your soul taste so much better."**_ Then, to shake her even more, Nightmare raised its sword high, before suddenly driving Soul Edge into its own right arm, piercing the necrotic flesh. Oily-brown blood leaked out as it roared in pain from the massive wound. It roughly tore the sword out… and Hinata's eyes widened father than she would have thought them possible as the flesh quickly healed, it's remaining blood dripping ominously to the ground as the arm finished, now looking good as new. _**"This body of mine will not fall… it CANNOT fall!"**_

Nightmare roared once more, and then rushed towards the little wasp, intent on ripping out her stinger and watching the guts flow…

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Hinata swore again, blocking another strike. She dodged the next one, her luck holding as she leaped back far enough to catch a breath.

She'd been very lucky so far. Her speed was greater, and her strength near to Nightmare's. But its healing ability seemed to match Naruto's, and it seemed to also have Naruto's incredible stamina- it hadn't once stopped its movement in the fight. A raging juggernaut, which didn't seem to fucking die...

She rolled to the side under another stroke, and swung Saix, grimacing as the blood within its right arm splattered across her Shadow robes. Already the wound was closing. She couldn't keep this up forever, and she couldn't seem to cut the arm or anything else all the way through. There had to be something she could do to make it stop...

And then, as she gazed again at its crimson eyes, it came to her. Hinata cursed herself for not even thinking of it, and then cursed again as she narrowly avoided another stroke and her wandering mind almost lost her head… literally. Hinata backed up, blade horizontally held in front of her.

"Feel honored, for you are the first opponent that have ever forced me to do this." She smirked, and then twisted the weapon and fed it chakra… the diamond markings in the middle of the blade glowed slightly, as did the line between them. She grinned, and as Nightmare swung down at her again she side-stepped slightly, just barely missing being sliced in half. Hinata leaped at its taller frame, slashing Saix at the head.

"_**Foolish child! This fight is already ov-AAAAUUUUGGHHH!"**_ Nightmare roared in horrid pain, its body twitching as if in death throes… and it might as well have been. Hinata smirked, hanging it midair off of her sword's handle. As she had swung Saix, she had activated the chakra stored in Saix… and the small, nubby spikes along the round head of the sword had suddenly extended, long and sleek. The blue arc they extended from had split in half, now two halves with four spikes each. One of the largest was even now jammed into the eye visor of the helmet, lodged in the flesh, allowing the sword and Hinata to hang there. The yellow, shuriken-esque design in the middle had extended as well, looking more intricate. Hinata grinned as the monster twitched in its final moments.

"Did you not wonder as to why my sword had a round head? Sharp as it is, it must have seemed like an awkward design, no? But in truth, it is simply something to hide the sword's deadly edge. This is Saix's true form… revel in being its first worthy victim." Hinata grinned even wider as Nightmare stopped twitching. She sighed in relief, and then prepared to wrench her blade out of its head.

Suddenly, without warning, Nightmare's head suddenly whipped hard to the side. Hinata didn't even have time to gasp in shock as she was flung by the action hard, striking a nearby tree. She hit the ground hard, and winced as she slowly stood. That had hurt like Hell… but that was secondary in her mind. She had stabbed it in the head, she was sure of it. Hinata activated her Byakugan, followed by her Kyomugan. She stared… and her mouth widened in shock.

Her Byakugan had peered into the things armor… and saw nothing. There was no flesh within the armor. She could only see what had been visible to her naked eye…even in its head, she could only see the patch of flesh with its crimson eyes. There seemed to be empty space behind there as well.

Then her Kyomugan switched on… and it got weirder. Its whole body was suddenly covered and filled with a dark purple aura, like the orb in its chest. It wasn't Nothingness, she knew that… but she had no clue what it was. And still, she saw no vital organ, no muscle, and no bone. It was… empty?

"What are you? How can there be nothing in your body for me to kill! I mean, that should have killed you!"

The earlier wound finally healed, Nightmare's eyes opened again. It surveyed the girl with a new look… she was now a very large, PAINFUL wasp, whose venom was lethal. Not deadly, but very dangerous. And yet… despite her power and whatever those eyes showed her, it could not help but laugh at her simplemindedness.

"_**Stupid, wretched human… did you think that this was my body? No… I am not Nightmare, not in truth. It is only a form to inspire fear on my world. To attract the bravest warriors, seeking to end my terror… but my true self… that has been before your strange eyes this entire time."**_

"What do you mean?" Hinata scoured the surrounding area, but it was only the two of them for the moment. "If you aren't Nightmare, then who are you?"

"… _**Did I not say it before? I AM the ultimate weapon."**_ Hinata scowled, trying to puzzle out the statement, and how it was stressing the word weapon…

And then she stopped.

And her eyes widened.

That sword, with that wicked, unblinking eye…

"You're… the sword? You're Soul Edge? How is that even possible?!"

"_**My creator took me into many battles upon my world… I shed so much blood, ended so many lives… bits of their souls, their essence, were absorbed into me, until one day I achieved consciousness… and every day since then has been a never-ending hunger for more. More souls to feed upon, with which to grow. Whether I am wielded by any foolish enough to believe they can control me, or whether I animate armor such as this with the power of my own soul, it makes no difference. I revel in the hunger for souls… for your soul!"**_ Nightmare suddenly raised its necrotic-brown arm, and a ball of power covered in a swirling flame rose from its chest orb to the arm. It traveled along it to the shoulder, then to the upper chest, and then down the left arm into Soul Edge itself… and without warning, a searing flame covered its body, flashing burst of flame and smoke into the sky. It crackled with power, orange lightning sizzling along body and blade alike. _**'I am Soul Edge, the ultimate weapon! I am your end! All will fall before the flames of my terrible darkness!"**_

"Kuso…" Hinata fingered Saix, sweat dripping from her forehead. The heat was incredible… and between the flames, smoke, and that terrible power, something was sure to alert Konoha. She figured that at her distance, there was maybe 5 minutes before someone arrived.

Alright. If the freak wanted to play with fire… she'd step up her game.

"You don't know true Darkness… you're not Darkness, just an immoral monster with no value but your own existence and your sick hunger. I promise you…" Hinata stiffened, and the Nothingness started to pour out of her, like a silvery-gray battle aura.

Nightmare's eyes- all three of them- widened. Where… where was the bitch getting THIS power?!

"I will be YOUR end!" The aura of Soul-based power filled her, strengthening every muscle, quickening every nerve, filling every pore. It whipped up the wind around Hinata, till she was like the heart of a vicious storm. She let out a battle cry, and then rushed at Nightmare, Saix glowing with Nothingness.

Nightmare roared in reply, swinging its true self at the little wasp-

As the blades collided, the very air seemed to freeze around them. Not in the sense of cold, but as if it had stopped altogether. That was only a split second… and then, as if the air had suddenly unfrozen, a shock wave of pressure and force swept out against the surrounding trees, a large crater at its epicenter… and the two fighters in the middle of it. Both strained their bodies to the limit, each trying to break through the other's sword…

Suddenly, Hinata moved her left hand from where it had been hanging by her side. While she had been doing fine with her right hand before, the action of moving her left deviated her concentration, and Nightmare suddenly started slowly inching her sword back to its wielder, one spike on the arm dangerously close to her throat…

"_**Even with both hands, your power cannot overcome mine! I am humanities greatest Nightmare! All will tremble before the ultimate power of Soul Edge!"**_ The monster roared again, seeing victory so close… and then it noticed her left hand.

Hovering just above the eye on the sword…

"I never… fight… with both hands… on… the handle…"

Suddenly, her blade easily was able to bat Nightmare's aside. The reason was very clear- even as it still raged with power, Nightmare was roaring in pain. The bitch…

She'd stabbed it in the eye! It was that French bastard from his world all over again!

Thorn-like tendrils of Nothingness jagged from her hand, piercing right through the apparently flesh eye of Soul Edge. They broke through the other side and into the ground, holding it in place. The same energy that crackled in waves around the armor poured from the wound.

Still, she hadn't killed it. It would break free, and then tear her apart!

Except that her hand began to glow with that same power, until it seemed too bright to look at…

And then it exploded. She released the power in a massive blast of Nothingness, right into Soul Edge's eye. The orb shuddered in pain and fear-Fear? Yes, for a moment, fear- and then it was swept away under the torrent of power. The armor, the flesh parts of Nightmare, and the rest of the sword shuddered as well… before exploding in a burst of power. As if multiple exploding tags had been clustered together, their explosions building on each other in a massive blast.

When the ANBU arrived a few minutes later, they would be at a loss to explain the massive crater in the middle of the forest. They would only put out the fires, and report back to the Hokage, who would up the border patrols and chew out his Chuunin squads for apparently letting someone get into their territory and set off what seemed to be a massive fire jutsu or explosive, maybe S-rank at least.

They wouldn't find the young woman, who had teleported away with her Nothingness before the blast could touch her…

A mile away, Hinata fell back onto the ground. Her body felt soaked in sweat, for while the blast had been avoided, the heat had been incredible. A quick check revealed that despite how it felt, her eyebrows hadn't been signed off. She panted heavily, despite the smile on her face. She looked around with her Byakugan and saw no trace of that monster. Whatever it had truly been, wherever it was from, it was gone.

Checking internally, she was surprised to find herself low on Nothingness. True, it was already starting to replenish, but she had apparently expended an extreme amount of it in the blast to ensure it died. Hinata smirked; she was still full on chakra, her panting more from the mental relief and slight physical exhaustion from the fight. She grinned from her place on her back in the grass, let Saix poof away as she fed chakra into the seal on her arm to store it again, and then raised her arms into the arm and cheered.

"Hah! Wait till the others see my memories of this! That was… just incredible! I did it!" Hinata's face practically beamed. With the presence of that vile monster gone, everything suddenly seemed so much more amazing. The wind blowing on her face, the warm sunlight, the grass tickling her entire back, the-

Wait, what? Hinata looked down from the sky… and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

(Warning: Kumquat ahead!)

She had escaped being injured by the blast. In fact, despite being nearly overpowered during the fight, she hadn't sustained a single injury. She could tell not an inch of her pale, smooth skin was scratched or marred.

She could tell… hence the problem.

For while the blast hadn't injured her, the force of it, plus her own blast of power, combined with the heat, had shredded her clothes to nothing.

Hinata sat up and shrieked, her face as red as the old days when she blushed around Naruto. Every inch of her was laid bare. She scanned with her Byakugan again, making sure that no one was around, even as her arms came up to cover her ample chest. Sweat from the fight rolled down her frame, giving her body a glistening sheen. She realized it had been a while since she had really looked at her naked form, and how early puberty was still blessing her…

Hinata blushed as a light breeze blew under her arms and across her bare nipples, the touch almost as good as Naruto's hands. She meeped as it blew across a lower region...

She stood, frowning as her large globes bounced. Damn it, this was why she wore a tighter, restricting bra. It sucked to have them bounce like this during a fight, the orbs jiggling and bouncing around with her...

Hinata blushed even harder. Kami, she was getting turned on by the situation! She apparently had gone too long without her 'boy toy', as Lee sometimes teasingly called his honorary brother. The thought made her smirk; just wait till they finally found Lee a nice girl…

(Kumquat ended)

Sighing, she reapplied the Genjutsu hiding her older body, and then placed a temporary one to hide her nudity. She started leaping through the treetops back home, wanting to get clothed as soon as possible.

After all, if anyone ever saw her naked someday, Naruto would have to be the first… and then she'd enjoy seeing him as well.

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_**Preview:**_

_Kami: These mortals… how quickly they move to prepare their plans, like the pieces on our chessboard._

_Shinigami: Indeed. So many unpredictable elements. It is almost too fun to watch._

_Kami: I agree. And now the Keyblade is going to be thrown into the equation… _

_Shinigami: True. So many powerful warriors, moving closer to their destined confrontation…I wonder how this Naruto boy will respond._

_Next Time: Allies and Enemies. They further the dangerous road you walk down Naruto!_

_?: __**I… obey… Orochimaru-sama…**_

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I know this isn't my longest work. It wasn't supposed to be terribly long. The reason it took so long to even type is that I'm starting to see how much I suck at fight scenes. I love plots, intrigue, and write them well- all your support is testament to it. But my fights are definitely lacking. I just don't have a knack for them.

As always, keep reviewing, and I mean actual reviews. I won't be picking a final Itachi Nobody name for a few chapters, so keep submitting if you find a good one. I recommend reading my reviews, because if you submit one I pick, but someone submitted it before you did, they will get the credit. Sorry.

Well, time to get back to the original story, which is what you all want, right? I'll start that now. Hope it doesn't take me too long…

Ja ne!


	15. Allies and Enemies

Man, that took forever, right? I sometimes consider writing shorter chapters, but when I try, I just keep writing. I'm unsatisfied until I reach a certain point… which I've noticed is at least 30 pages apparently.

I hope you all enjoy this… no fights in it. Instead the plot thickens more. Sorry, I'm trying to practice writing random fights for experience, but they keep coming out short and crappy, so I'll keep working on it for when all the major fighting goes down. Thanks as before to my awesome beta Narai Moroha, who makes sure I don't fuck up **too** badly. Keep reviewing! I need wordy comments on my writing and stuff!

Also, you can still give Nobody name ideas for Itachi's Nobody. No combination has really caught my eye yet, so keep sending them in.

Let's get it on!

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Fifteen**

_**Allies and Enemies. They further the dangerous road you walk down Naruto!**_

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The land of Fire was one of the largest nations on the elemental continent. Every inch of their territory had always been fought for and defended vigorously. There was not a spot that anyone could approach without proper authorization…

Except for one.

It was registered on any map as a tiny bit of land, bordering on Iwa. It was registered as part of Fire country. In truth, it was in fact a neutral zone, not even a country in of itself. In times before war, the five nations would send representatives of their Daimyo there, or of the Kages of their own hidden villages. A last desperate chance for peace… and a tradition still honored, despite the multiple wars in shinobi history that had gone on despite these meetings.

The meeting place was also used in times of emergency, when it seemed that something had come up that threatened the continent. It had been used only once in a long time, when the Kyuubi had first appeared. They had even been in the middle of discussing their options when the news of its defeat had been brought to them.

And now, for the first time in 12 years, the five Anbu captains of the five great villages headed their again, their minds filled with troubled thoughts of beams of destruction raining down from the sky…

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Yamato arrived first. He leaned back against the tree he had just leap down from, and crossed his arms, hoping that this would go smooth. It was his first time – damn Captain Hiruhan for retiring. The last year had been nothing but a constant state of alert for the Anbu, low as it was. Even most of the Jonin didn't know how serious the Hokage was getting in these troubled times, not that they needed to know…

Yamato sighed – and then his head jerked up as a foot pressing on bark was heard. Not even a minute later, the Anbu captain from Kumo arrived. Looking around to see who was there, he leaned against a tree and gave a nod, which Yamato reciprocated. While both men were wary of each other, both took the time to relax, both also praying that this would go smoothly.

One by one, Captains from the other three villages arrived, and repeated the lean-and-nod routine. Tradition was tradition after all. But to the surprise of the group, just as the Captain from the Mist village had settled, a sixth man arrived, clad in purple with a mask of his own.

"I hope you can explain yourself, little Sound boy… this is supposed to be a meeting for ninja villages." The Iwa captain had lessened his slack against the tree a bit, hand twitching for a hidden tanto. "I don't remember telling any unregistered village about this…"

"I did." They all turned to the Suna captain, who sounded annoyed. He had hoped this annoying distraction could have been avoided. "The Fire Daimyo and Wind Daimyo have practically ratified their status as the sixth village already. Their permission to partake in the Chunin Exam is proof enough of that. It also seemed prudent, since the 'event' happened on their land as well as ours…" The Iwa Captain bristled, but then relaxed against his tree, smoldering over what he saw as an insult.

Now wanting war to break out right here and now, Yamato coughed, grinning weakly under his mask as the other five men turned to him.

"So… I don't suppose anyone wants to fess up to being responsible for that light show?" The Captain from Mist chuckled under her breath in reply.

"Light show he calls it… that 'light show' vaporized a small lake on our land. I've never seen anything like it. I can't fathom how one could control such power…"

"Burned two holes in our desert, right into the sand…" The Suna Captain shifted, his voice sounding a bit awed just by the memory. "Twin shafts of the purest glass I've ever seen. We don't even know yet how far down it goes…" The Iwa captain, nodded, hating to admit his awe along with the 'lesser' captains.

"Blasted through some of the densest rock in our country. Makes our explosive clay look like cheap fireworks."

"Alright then." They all turned to the Captain from Kumo, his voice sounding now irritated, as if the few minutes spent talking had been far too long already. "I think we can all agree that we have no clue about what that was… and from the sound of it, no one has given any of our lands any threat… as strange as it was, we can do nothing about it now." He would have said more, but then noticed that the Mist Captain seemed to be boring her eyes right into his.

"Strange? Oh yes, beams of destruction falling from the sky, that is strange indeed… idiot." Ignoring his frosty glare, she continued. "Alright. He has a point I suppose. I think it's safe to say we'll go on business as usual. Don't want to start a panic. We'll reschedule the Chuunin Exams as soon as we can–"

"Reschedule?" Yamato stood up from his tree, a grin hidden under his mask. This was the part the Hokage had stressed as being most important, one that would undoubtedly come… and yet for some reason, he somehow felt glad it was happening. Sometimes irking people was a fun challenge… "If it's going to be business as usual, then the Hokage WILL be holding the exams at Konoha as planned. He sees no reason to cancel such an important event and show any fear. We must show our courage in times of doubt like this. Of course, he understands if you all choose not to attend…" Yamato grinned wider. He could just imagine the looks of shock or anger on their faces below the masks. Sarutobi had pressed upon him the importance of putting them in a position where they would be showing some form of cowardice if they backed down. It was actually the smart thing to do, but rumors about it could spread very easily in a land of shinobi…

"I'd watch your tongue, little Leaf." The man from Iwa was so tense that the other five shinobi could hear his teeth gnashing. "Unlike you, some of us actually have the spine for a hard fight. We will of course be sending our best to the exam. I am sure everyone will… even Mist, though their spines aren't what they used to be." The Mist Captain bristled. It was a stupid joke for the other countries, which seemed to love mentioning now and again the coup and subsequent loss of their Kaguya clan.

"They are strong enough thank you… have any luck with that renegade Clay user of yours? Rumor says he took out 10 of your hunter-nin when he was last spotted–"

"Well, it looks like things are done here." The other five captains turned to the man from Sound, their growing irritation seemingly forgotten at his sudden interruption. "If you will excuse me, Otokage-sama wanted me back as soon as possible. We will see you at the Chuunin Exam then…" And without another word, he leaped back into the trees from whence he came.

The other five captains, looked to one another, and then somehow nodded as one. The purpose of their meeting was discussed, and was done with. They split up, again alone, and headed back for home, leaving the tiny piece of land once again empty. For the first time since its conception, a meeting in the neutral place had ended without imminent war...

For now.

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Ryoza waited till he was five miles out, and the finally let out a shudder. Those… that was what real Anbu captains were like? He had been like a kitten in a den of tigers…

Orochimaru-sama had never needed an actual Anbu corps- the Sound Four and Kimimaro had always sufficed. With their death, and Kimimaro's fate in the balance, the Sannin had chosen Ryoza as the obvious man to masquerade for the meeting. He had not felt very honored- not only would he be risking death on the 'battlefield', but if he had come back with bad news, his life would be forfeit. No news at all, forfeit. Good news… maybe still forfeit. Being Orochimaru-sama's lieutenant seemed more harrowing with every passing day.

Thankfully, the Suna Captain had actually been telling the truth. Otogakure was practically as good as official, so his presence there was explainable.

Still, it was questionable if he'd live upon returning. Ryoza had now been a lieutenant to Orochimaru for about a month… a village record if the stories were true. Third in command to what would soon be the sixth ninja village… and his life was in more danger than most active hunter-ninja, when all he did was follow the Sannin around almost every day.

And Orochimaru-sama had been livid about the loss of the Sound Four, not to mention Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu. If Kimimaro died as well…

Still, Ryoza had been extremely lucky so far. And as he'd learned in his shinobi career, luck was simply an important factor they couldn't teach at any academy.

He'd just have to hope his streak of good fortune didn't end soon.

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"You'd better have good news for me Kabuto. I am hoping for something to go right today. I'd hate to add your incompetence to a long list of bad news…" Orochimaru waited, and then raised an eyebrow. For once… Kabuto wasn't reacting. While Orochimaru was willing to kill the silver-haired boy, he knew Kabuto was quite the prodigy and a most important pawn for the time being. Such threats were meant to keep him alert and sharp, and they had never failed.

Until now that was. For Kabuto had not even blinked at the killer intent laced into the statement. Instead, the medic just kept pacing around a table that held Kimimaro's prone body, mumbling to himself distractedly. He looked feverishly excited. "Kabuto!"

The angered bark finally seemed to awaken Kabuto from his distracted stupor. He turned and bowed low, and yet even then the excited smirk never left his face.

"Lord Orochimaru… forgive me, but I got caught up in work. This is simply…" The boy paused, trying to find words to describe it all… Kabuto suddenly walked over to a nearby table, pulling out a print-out from the strange machinery surrounding the small room. It seemed to be an outline of Kimimaro, but filled with massive blotches of sickly dark green. He handed it to Orochimaru, and then turned back to the comatose bone-user. "You recognize that of course, correct my Lord?"

"How could I forget Kabuto? Over a hundred tests, and yet the disease that has recently been taking affect refuses to be treated. I'm simply impressed he has been hiding it for so long… I wouldn't have even known if not for this equipment."

"Indeed. It had weakened his lungs and muscles to a point where I think he was moving on sheer will at times." Orochimaru processed that sentence for a moment, before fixing Kabuto with a stare.

"It 'had' weakened? Explain your meaning Kabuto…" The medic only grinned wider.

"Remember the experiment we had Kimimaro try with his Cursed Seal? We tested to see if its power coursing through his body could eradicate the disease."

"I remember Kabuto. Even at the second level, the idea was a failure. The Cursed Seal-altered chakra destroyed the virus, and yet somehow caused it to replicate as quickly as it dissolved. A most puzzling disease. It is beyond even my old teammate's healing hands." Kabuto only smirked at the statement.

"Indeed, it still is beyond Tsunade's skill… but that is something we no longer need to worry about." Ignoring his master's confusion, Kabuto went back to the strange machinery and pulled a second picture, wordlessly handing it to Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin took the picture… only for his eyes to widen. It was another outline of Kimimaro… but clean. Completely clean, with not even the slightest bit of green within. He looked up, allowing shock to settle into his features. "Impossible… how did you–" Kabuto only pointed to Kimimaro… specifically, his exposed chest.

To the curse mark.

"As you remember, even at full activation speed, his moving into the second level of the Cursed Seal was not fast enough for its destruction of the virus to overcome the replication… whatever that shaft of power was, it seems to have affected the curse seal. It show signs of running above what Kimimaro is capable of… the Seal apparently was overcharged to the point where it wiped out the virus completely, before it could even begin to replicate. While there is no sign of that power left, there is no doubt that Kimimaro is cured. Even now, we are rebuilding his muscle tissue. Sickened, he could take the entire Sound Four on his own… now, Lord Orochimaru, he'll be unstoppable." The Sannin grinned widely, his mind awash in feverish excitement.

"Incredible… beyond all possible excellent news Kabuto. Inform me the minute he is at full strength. I will take his body as soon as possible." Orochimaru's fingers twitched with hunger… and then he saw Kabuto's face. The medic-nin's grin had left his visage, leaving behind a now troubled grimace. He only pointed to Kimimaro's bare chest, to the Cursed Seal again. Orochimaru stared at it, and then his eyebrow's shot up.

The Sannin had a near photographic memory. He could remember things as far back as the faces of his parents before they died. He could remember the look on his Sensei's face the day his betrayal was discovered. And most certainly, he remembered every Curse Mark he had ever given out, including Kimimaro's. The Cursed Seal of Earth, one of the most powerful. Three curved lines in a triangle.

Not three straight lines.

"As you can see, whatever that power was, it apparently altered the very seal itself. That may actually be what allowed it to overcome Kimimaro's disease… but more importantly, we have no idea what else it has done. And while his muscles are rebuilding nicely, and his organs are intact, his brain scans are… off somehow. I can't really describe it, for they seem normal, but something is definitely changed within his neural patterns. I will of course inform you when there is a change… if there is one. But until then, I have no clue what would happen if you placed your soul into his body. At the very least, he will become an effective weapon again when he awakens."

Orochimaru practically growled, his hands trembling with anger at this low in what was just before an incredible high point to his day. He stormed out without a word, heading to his chambers.

Hopefully, for his sake, Ryoza would have better news…

Back in the room, Kabuto sighed, and then went back to Kimimaro's prone form, performing yet another diagnostic jutsu. Even as he was again satisfied that Kimimaro was recovering quickly, his thoughts started to wander.

_It's all happening so fast. Faster than I had thought possible. Soon, Orochimaru-sama will possess the Sharingan, and step even faster along the path to his dream. Every jutsu… even medical jutsu. And when he knows those as well, I will not be necessary…_

_So why am I still here? What am I even doing, and for what end? It's insanity, helping him to eventually make me a tool to be tossed aside. Like a puppet with no face…_

In the cold examination room, Kabuto shivered, and then went back to Kimimaro with more vigor, desperate to shake the disturbing thoughts of his own identity- or lack of one- from his mind…

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"So, you are sure then? Everything is still on schedule?"

"Indeed Danzo-sama." The masked Root ninja bowed before Danzo within Root headquarters. He had only lately returned from his shift outside the Hokage's office, and had managed to glean information his lord would find most useful. "The other villages will be sending their shinobi to the exam. Even a man from the Sound village was there, so it seems that Orochimaru will still be attacking with both his shinobi and massive summon snakes during the Chunin exam's preliminary round, as you both have planned."

"Good… he will aid us in removing the infected roots of this village, like Sarutobi… and then, we will exterminate that foolish parasite of a Sannin before he can infect the tree further. Very good, you may go." The masked shinobi vanished, though Danzo didn't notice, his mind awhirl over everything to come. "The work it takes to protect this village… but, it cannot be helped. It is only a shame we have lost Sai. He was such a helpful child… still, in the end his death isn't even a setback. I will save this village, make it stronger… even if I have to burn a few leaves off the tree in the process." Danzo gripped his cane and started off toward his room, planning on getting a good meal before business above ground.

As he left the room, the door closed ever so softly, yet just hard enough to send bits of dust swirling into the air like flakes in a snowstorm. His departure had only the barest visible signs…

And the two Search Ghosts, who had followed the Root shinobi from the Hokage's office and hidden in the very floor beneath Danzo's feet, left the room no trace at all, planning to wait until they felt Naruto-sama's Heart within the village again.

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The Search Ghost looked out from within a concrete wall, sort of wishing it could move… still, it was perfectly safe there for the moment, so comfort wasn't a concern.

Its own stability was.

It had been part of a pair that had attempted to root out the location of Akatsuki, after one of its fellow Ghosts had reported that the container of the eight-tails had been captured. Of all the Search Ghosts that had gone looking, the pair it was in seemed to have gotten lucky, catching up with Kisame and Itachi almost two weeks before. They had followed the pair over a seemingly random course, until they had finally entered a cave set into a mountain in the middle of nowhere… and watched them seal the Bijuu away, killing the man who had contained it. The two Ghosts had even recorded the conversation over three days, and had discovered the group's plans for the Bijuu, and the bounties they were collecting…the one named Hidan either had a bad memory or liked pissing people off. Itachi and Kisame – the only ones physically present – had then left, but the Heartless had remained, hoping the cave would be used again…

And their gambit paid off. Only a few days ago, four members had entered the chamber, preparing to seal their seventh captive demon. After three days, just as the sealing was about to finish, the Heartless has teleported to outside the cave, and through what would have appeared to be a silent conversation decided one should go back to Master Naruto, while the other stayed to record the last bit.

When the Search Ghost considered it now, it was probably the only reason it was still 'alive'.

After the second Ghost had gone back into the cave wall, the first had been on the verge of leaving… and then all Hell had broke loose. That beam of bright… something had descended from the sky, nearly blinding the Search Ghost. It wanted to scream in pain despite the lack of a voice; the very heat and force coming off of the shaft of power was enough to make its body of Darkness unstable…

And then it was over. Despite feeling weak from the event, the Ghost looked back to the cave, and saw the wreck within. The ceiling was blasted away, the walls themselves melted and ran, and the statue with the Bijuu was complete ruined. To top it off, three of the four Akatsuki members no longer visible… no body, Heart, or Soul. They had simply perished… along with the other Search Ghost.

Able to catch the last bit of conversation, the Search Ghost watched them all disappear in their own way, before pausing to think. All of this information was vital, and Naruto would want to hear it immediately. But before they had left, the Search Ghost had seen one member being referred to as leader. Which meant, since Itachi's Heartless had informed them about Madara Uchiha, this was the powerful faux leader of Akatsuki.

And on his astral projection, the Heartless has just barely made out a hiate, with the symbol for Ame…

In the end, the lone Heartless had made its way to Rain as fast as possible. It hadn't taken long to find the strange leader of Akatsuki again, and even now he watched the man prepare to address what seemed to be the entire village.

Still, this was a huge risk. Even now its body still felt weakened by the blast, and seemed a bit unstable. If it came apart now, it would have to travel back to Konoha as just a Heart, something that could take days…

No. This was too great a chance. The Search Ghost shook those thoughts away as the leader, this 'Pein' character, stepped onto the ledge of a tall building, his voice booming down to the crowd below.

"My people… this is a glorious day. For so long, you have followed me. Followed your God into battle against Danzo, and those that would threaten us. Through fire and attrition… today, I am here to tell you your faith is rewarded, for it is over. This war is over, and Danzo and his followers are now dust, mere ashes in the distance!' The crows roared, so loud that they almost missed the next part. "I know many of you saw it… I chose to end the struggle, instead of letting it continue, and rained Holy fire upon them!" The crowd cheered even louder, awed by the power of their fiery-haired God.

Deception was a shinobi skill the man seemed to possess quite well.

"However, I do not wish to use it again. I have told all of you of my dream, for peace to flourish across this land. To do what I have done to every place that defies us will make me seem a God of war… if you all fight for me, and pledge your lives, people will see that mankind is flocking to us, to our message of peace! The way of peace is the truest path for mankind's destiny. Happiness and paradise lie at the end of that path… and you, my followers, will take the world there!"

As they screamed and whooped and hollered below, Konan looked over to Pein, as always in awe. The man truly had a way with words. From the few willing to believe his Godhood, to all of the village and country now… truly he had the capacity to affect the whole world.

"Soon, we will attack one of the vilest places on this entire continent- Konoha itself, during their Chunin exam. We will make it our greatest example that those who forsake peace will not walk in the future with the rest of the world. They call us fanatics, terrorists, psychotic- I say nay! We are those who see the future, and know what must be done to reach that day where peace will flourish throughout the land!"

As the people cheered, for their God and his Angel, the Search Ghost quietly warped away, careful as before to avoid the strange rain that never seemed to stop falling in the village. Outside of the village itself, the Heartless paused and, feeling that its body was stable for the moment, started to warp back to Konoha as fast as possible.

Its body had to last at least back to the Leaf village, back to Naruto…

And it would, even if by sheer force of will alone.

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"… And so in conclusion Yamamora-sama, you can see how much of a benefit this will be, to both the Land of Waves and this country."

"Indeed. I am still ashamed that even after my increased investigations, I was not aware of how Gatou was doing such 'business' so close to my territory. I thank you of course for saving those people, and for not spreading news of this embarrassment. Indeed one might think you were using it as leverage against me…" Before the Daimyo of Fire Country, the figure cloaked in black chuckled, his gravelly and distorted voice echoing across the vast throne room. The guards, already on edge from the man before their lord, visibly shivered in a tense fear.

"Leverage? No, not now, and not ever I hope. Sometimes a good and honest argument, which I have now, successfully supersedes anything like leverage. I am only offering you an ally against others… and all I ask is that you recognize Wave as an independent territory, safe from Mizu or Iwa. Tazuna-san is a good man, worthy of the title of Daimyo, and our village of Yamigakure will serve as a more-than-adequate defense. You will have a strong ally… one with a nearly inexhaustible army fighting for it." The figure chuckled, rapping its knuckles along the head of one of two Heartless that stood on either side of him.

They weren't too tall, below the average height of a man. Spindly feet like a Samurai Nobody in darker gray rounded out in the back, giving way to thin black legs rising from them. They connected into thick hip armor on both legs, with were in turn connected to a thin, black armored waist. Above that, however, was a gray and dark-gray chest plate with the Heartless Symbol on the bottom. Arms, thin and black like the legs, pushed out from large silver shoulder armor, but the arms gave way to large silver wrist guards and even larger, powerful black fingers, which seemed to be made of still more armor.

Their right hands each gripped an odd golden handle, connected to a sword's handle guard, gold and shaped like eagle wings. Those guards gave way to large swords, wickedly sharp on both sides and colored an obsidian black.

The dark-gray part of the upper chest armor came to a rounded end at the top of the head, with a small black spike rising from the top. The top of the face seemed like the upper part of a massive silver faceplate… with no middle or bottom below it. There were only glowing yellow eyes and a zigzag-like smile, like the inside of a soldier Heartless.

The cloaked figure had shown the Daimyo and his guards many different Heartless as proof… these two were only the newest kind, and the strongest to date: The Armored Knights. There weren't many of them, but from what he'd been told, this figure and his companions in Shadow had many hundreds of Heartless, all of different abilities. Not to mention the brief physical display the figure himself had given against the Daimyo's guards.

He'd been terrified, and was barely able to keep from showing it. This was only a shadow clone, and yet so skilled… if had actually been the real thing, with all of the chakra the original apparently had, Yamamora would have been completely helpless… instead of mostly helpless.

"Anyway, just send a letter and anything that needs to be signed to Tazuna-san, and make sure it gets there in a little after a week. I'll leave another shadow clone like this one behind when I leave with the Leaf ninja, so I'll know that everything is in order. I trust you, but then again it's a world with ninja, so I can't be TOO trusting." The Daimyo nodded. As the figure motioned for the Heartless to disperse, the Daimyo made a motion himself, wanting the figure to answer something else before it dispersed.

"I… don't like hiding all of this from him, you do know that. Sasuke Sarutobi has always been a loyal ally, and from what you've told me he still is. Hiding all of this – the Heartless and Nobodies, your appearance here, Yamigakure, everything you told me about Akatsuki, the identity of this 'Shih' character… and your plans for that certain clan in Konoha…"

"All of which is for a good cause. You yourself agreed it was in their best interest."

"Yes, though I still am allowing you to weaken an ally of mine, even if it's to right an obvious wrong. And what about yourself? Are you alright with doing this to Sarutobi-dono, being a Leaf shinobi yourself? Putting yourself and all of your comrades into such danger?" The figure paused, and then shrugged its shoulders.

"To be honest, I hate the whole idea doing just that. But they were told of every danger and still choose to stick it out by me, and that's their choice. I'm simply going to do everything in my power to protect those precious to me… and not even you, Fire Daimyo-sama, will stop me from doing so." The clone suddenly dispersed into smoke, the guards rushing to the spot where it had dispelled itself. The two Heartless vanished in a quick burst of Darkness.

Yamamora sat back into his throne for a moment, before motioning for the guards to leave the room for a time. He then did the same for his advisors, and reached for a brush and paper from the small table before him. He had papers to write up and prepare, even if he had a week to get ready.

_Everything you're doing, it's going to forever change the balance of power, no matter how small that change may end up being. And for better or worse, I am literally signing that change into being… I only hope I truly can trust you, like my intuition suggests to me._

_Naruto Uzumaki… the future Shodaime Yamikage... I hope your Heart is as strong as you claim, and can protect those that will definitely be risking everything to go with you…_

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"Something wrong, Ruka-kun? You're more quiet than usual, and keep staring into space… am I losing my charm?" Anko smirked and dug her elbows gently into her boyfriend's shoulders, hands ever so gently tattooing a small beat on his skull. Normally this would get him at least chuckling, rolling his eyes at the action… but as the last few times, Iruka just started out from the top of the Nidaime's head across the great expanse of Konoha. He sighed, and then reached back to take one of her hands, his thumb gently rubbing it.

"Sorry, I'm doing a lot of that lately, aren't I? It's just… so much has happened recently. And soon we'll have the Chuunin Exams, and you know how they can get. It's like people are throwing exploding tags into a pile, and any second someone will activate one and send everything straight to Hell." He sighed, and his thoughts went to all the students that had graduated recently… especially Naruto, Shino, Lee, and Hinata. He prayed silently that they were doing well…

"Well then, who better to protect the good little dolphin from Hell then a big bad snake like me?" Anko grinned, and then pressed down harder, her ample chest brushing over his cranium. She took delight in hearing the barest gulping sound from him… even after all the time they were spending together, that bit of shyness he still had was adorable. "I'll protect you Iruka-kun; hold you nice and safe and tight to me…"

He finally chuckled, and then without warning rolled out from under her. Anko gasped and twisted as she fell, landing on her rump with her hands poised to push herself back up… but then Iruka gently slid on top and pinned her, grinning in some cross between a fox and a bunny. If bunnies could grin anyway.

Even when he flirted or got into more adult behavior, Iruka was still the most gentlemanly guy in Konoha… which was of course why she was crazy over him.

"Why Iruka, I do believe you're holding a woman in a most inappropriate way. Such a shock… for a weenie like you." Smirking at her faux insult, Iruka leaned down and softly took her lips, not even having to wait half a second before she reciprocated the kiss. He grinned against her lips; as work got more intense before the Exams, it wasn't often he had time for even G-rated fun like this. His eyes opened to meet hers, and he traced every bit of Anko's beautiful face, red like his from a soft blush… and the approaching rays of the sun.

The loving couple relaxed, feeling their bodies softly melt together under a warm Konoha sunrise.

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"Just relax dad, you'll do fine. You practiced the story all night with Naruto-sama, remember? Just keep a straight face and you'll be alright."

"Says you. You didn't see Kakashi fighting before we arrived here the first day. The man is a Jonin, Tsunami. He's trained to see through people who lie, and he could probably kill me at least a dozen ways with just his pinky before I could even blink-"

"Oh stop it dad, now you're being silly." She sighed, watching Tazuna pace around the kitchen. Her father was still skeptical about the plan… though in truth, she was still a bit hesitant herself.

After everything at the bridge had finally calmed down, the people of Wave had returned to their home, while Naruto and some Shadow close had taken up the task of carrying the unconscious bodies of his teammates back to Tazuna's house. Having set them to bed, Naruto then left to contact his friends, and then came back to took Tazuna outside, going over some of the finer arrangements of the whole deal between them.

It was a bit much for Tazuna; after all, Naruto seemed to have the capability to get the Daimyo of Fire Country, one of the continent's biggest territories, to recognize him – _him_ – as a Daimyo of Wave, making it an official country… and one with a shinobi village as well. It still seemed surreal to Tazuna, the thought of being the Daimyo of an entire nation, even one as small as theirs…

The trick would be Kakashi and the rest of Team Seven. Sakura and Sasuke would probably believe the story they had concocted, but Kakashi would be harder. The lie they had prepared was plausible, but the Jonin would easily see through it. That was why Naruto had spent the night making Tazuna tell the story over and over again to a Clone of Kakashi till he sounded convincing… they even went down to the beach and quietly re-enacted the story with clones, so that Tazuna could even truthfully say he'd SEEN the story they fabricated.

And yet despite all that, despite even Naruto's assurance that he would be able to fool Kakashi, he was completely terrified.

"Besides Dad, that's a completely ridiculous concept, even for a Jonin ninja… he probably can only kill you 3 ways with just his pinky–"

"Not helping!" All of a sudden they froze, hearing a stirring sound. They'd left the door open to keep an eye of the rest of the team, and noticed their prone bodies starting to stir. Tazuna took a breath, one that probably sounded like relief… though in truth it was to steady himself. He approached the Jonin's bed, waiting for the man to finally open his eyes.

_Now or never…_

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Kakashi groaned softly, his head feeling like it was splitting apart. How drunk had he gotten the day before-

He suddenly bolted upright as the memories of the afternoon came back in a rush. He had just begun fighting Zabuza when the kid following the missing-nin had suddenly vanished, and then he had felt a blow to the head and gone out like a light. He stared down in shock at his own hands… warm flesh… Kami, he was alive!

'_How… I was sure Zabuza was going to kill us- Sakura! Sasuke! Naruto!'_ His head started to swivel, desperately looking for their bodies, praying they were alive, that he hadn't gotten them killed over his mistake… and sighed in relief as he saw Sakura under a sheet, stomach moving up and down with regular breath. _'And there's Sasuke too. And Naruto is… Naruto? Naruto! Kami, don't tell me-'_

"Naruto is fine." Kakashi's head swiveled, taking note of Tazuna standing beside his bed with a grin on his face. "And I'm glad to say the same for all of us. He's downstairs with Inari. Amazing how fast he recovered after that blow, when it put even you out…"

"That's right." Kakashi rubbed his still sore head, trying to piece together those last moments. "That masked kid with Zabuza. I saw him vanish, and then he got the back of my head–"

"Wasn't him." Kakashi turned in surprise, a look that grew at the frown on Tazuna's face. "When that masked kid vanished, some guy in a black cloak appeared and knocked you all out. Then he took on Zabuza himself. It was… disturbing. Took Zabuza apart like he was nothing. Couldn't see his face, because even that was in black. And his voice was all distorted. I couldn't actually tell if it was a man…" Tazuna seemed to shiver as Kakashi ran a mental list. Black cloak, face hidden by black, distorted voice-

"Shadow…" Kakashi shook his head and looked up to Tazuna. "A rouge group of ninja. They've been collecting some high price bounties, and others had disappeared around the time they started showing up. But they refuse to approach us, or the Daimyo, so they've been labeled vigilantes. I heard that they were very skilled, but to sneak up on us undetected and then knock the four of us out so easily…" The Jonin shook his head, and then turned to the bridge builder. "So everyone is okay? Had there been any news on Gato yet?"

"Gato showed up as that Shadow guy was finished with Zabuza and his partner. Apparently he planned to kill them both when they had killed all of us. But that Shadow guy, he took them all out. Some kind of giant fireball, it burned them all to ash. The crazy shit you shinobi can do…"

Kakashi tuned the rambling out for a moment, going over the story. No hesitation, no tremble in the voice, not too overconfident… the story appeared genuine. Still, even that seemed like a bad thing. If that one man had taken him out so easily, thick mist or not, then the whole group was a serious threat. Even worse was that part about the beam of light coming down from the sky. He'd have to check the melted part of the bridge himself, but this was all too much. The Hokage would have to know… but Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted as Tazuna shook his shoulder.

"Hello in there? I said, when you all wake up there's breakfast downstairs. We're all going to celebrate… heh, I need to get the good sake out." Tazuna chuckled to himself and walked out, leaving the silver-haired adult to himself. Kakashi sighed, taking a moment to thank Kami that everyone was alright. He really had to up their training when they got home. Never again could he put them into this kind of position without at least some preparation. He'd almost lost them all… and the thought shook him.

_Sensei… what would you have done? Would you have taken us back?... No, you would have pushed us on. But good reasons or not, these kids weren't ready. I promise, I'll make sure they are next time…_

Thankfully, his depressing thoughts were broken by a stirring, first from one bed and then another. Sakura was the first to rise, rubbing the sleep from her eyes slowly as Sasuke come to a sitting position.

"Hnnn… that was such a nice sleep too…" Sakura yawned, looking around slowly at the room- room? Wait, wasn't she at a bridge? Suddenly the previous day came rushing back to her, and she almost got whiplash, such was the swiveling of her neck. What had happened? She'd suddenly lost consciousness at the bridge, was everyone-

Suddenly, she spied her sensei, and then occupant of the other bed, and with a happy cry of "Sasuke-kun!" she launched herself at the raven-haired boy, glomping him silly.

For his part, Sasuke wasn't really happy about being woken from his half-awake state in such a manner… sadly, Sakura failed to gleam this from the rough shove off that he gave her.

"What… what happened?" Sasuke looked around, taking in his sensei and Sakura and- "Wait… where's Naruto?" Sakura suddenly looked around noticing the absence of their teammate. She turned to Kakashi, her features worried, though Kakashi broke this with his patented eye-smile.

"Naruto is fine. He woke up before any of us apparently and is downstairs. Now… it looks like I have to fill you two in…"

By the time he was done and the three of them had arrived downstairs at the kitchen, Tsunami, Tazuna, Inari, and Naruto were well into what seemed to be a mountain of food covering the table. Their bellies rumbling embarrassingly, the three shinobi joined the party and dug in.

The rest of the day, and indeed the week, the four shinobi did nothing but help with the bridge. Kakashi wanted to return as soon as possible to discuss the matter of Shadow with the Hokage, but knew that his charges wouldn't be keen about leaving until the bridge was done and Tazuna's work was finished. Indeed, Kakashi himself had taken a liking to the place, and honestly wanted to help Tazuna's dream bridge reach completion… he even showed up for work only half an hour late every day.

Within a week, Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari stood at the island's end of a large, completed bridge, looking quite beautiful as the sun was just starting to rise. Team Seven stood in front of them, smiles on all their faces, touched with just a hint of sadness at having to leave such a great place.

"All of you… thank you. Truly, we owe everything to you, and all that you've done for us." Tazuna hugged his daughter and grandson close, and they smirked but hugged him back, their eyes sending the same thanks.

"Really, it was nothing." Sakura smiled back at them, grinning at how cute the whole scene was. "All of you, take care for us. Hopefully we can come back some day and visit, when you're really got things moving."

"You bet! By the time you get back, this place won't even be recognizable!" Inari smirked and rubbed his nose, then took off his hat and threw it into the air. "One last cheer for the heroes of Wave!" The villagers behind them cheered loudly, their voices echoing across the mighty bridge and back as Team Seven turned and started down the bridge. The people of Wave… well, waved, shouting praise at the shinobi until they were far out of sight. As they turned back to their homes, Tazuna, Inari, and Tsunami stayed behind for a moment, until Inari finally spoke up. "'Really, it was nothing'? No offense to her, but she didn't really do much. Is she even allowed to say that Mom?"

"Oh, let them enjoy their moment. They did a great thing for us Inari, staying with us even after your grandfather misled them." She then turned to Tazuna, her mouth pursed into a tight line. "Dad… last chance to back down from all of this. There are big risks with what you and Naruto-san are planning, despite how it could benefit the entire island…"

"And I'm willing to take those risks. You've seen what he can do Tsunami. And all those Heartless he has working on building the village…" Tazuna turned back to look towards the middle of the island. If not for the thick trees, rocks, and the distance, he might have been able to glimpse the many Heartless working with all of the material Sukahara Shipping had sneaked in under Kakashi's nose. "They've got the money, the strength, the manpower… but most importantly they let us choose this, and swore to protect us. As long as it's good people like that making the deal, I'll go with it." "He then smirked and started laughing to himself. "And just imagine it: me, a super-awesome Daimyo!"

Tazuna laughed at the grand idea of it, as his daughter and grandson sighed and left for the house. And he was sounding so profound for a moment there…

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Team Seven traveled until the sun finally came down, bringing night on once more. Without having to walk at Tazuna's pace, they made even greater time coming back to Konoha. Still, Kakashi stopped them, saying they would set up camp for the night and return fresh the next day. He even offered to take the first and longest watch for them.

As he watch the three Genin climb into their tents, Kakashi leaned back against a tree and looked to the stars… wondering if Minato-sensei was looking down at them.

_I'm starting to learn sensei, how you felt with us under your wing. It's really an incredible feeling… like protecting a comrade, but something more as well. I promise, I will do everything to protect them…_

Still, his eye smile faded as he turned his gaze toward Sasuke's tent. The boy had been even more reserved from the Team since they were knocked out at the bridge, something that had continued unabated since then. Kakashi knew it was probably a blow to the boy's sadly stubborn pride to be knocked out without getting to fight, but even still…. The truth was the Jonin didn't really know what was wrong in his mind. For good reasons or bad, Sasuke was a hard nut to crack.

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It had been a week. A whole week. And yet it still seemed like only yesterday that the incredible blessing of that day had occurred…

(_Flashback_)

At first there was only darkness everywhere. Maybe a phantom pain from where the blow to the neck had rendered unconsciousness. No matter how far the distance ran, there was only darkness.

And then, there had been light. Barely a pinprick, like the dimmest star… and then it grew. Slowly, surely, until it was slowly driving the darkness back, further and further. It was only most too bright too look at, and yet at the same time looking away was impossible. The core of the light got closer and closer, brighter and brighter… until finally the source was in view.

It had to be a hallucination. What was coming out of the bright light couldn't be real. The giant key in its hand looked more realistic… it was a walking, giant mouse in strange clothes.

Definitely a weirder dream had not been had.

The mouse walked forward, holding the key sideways in front of it. It suddenly spoke- the dream was getting weirder- in an odd falsetto, though that did not belay the voice from carrying incredible strength, confidence, and authority; it was obvious that the anthropomorphic mouse was a hardened warrior.

"_You, who now listen to this… know that this is not a dream. I understand it appears strange, but when you rise the waking world, you need only see this weapon in my hand, and let your Heart will it into being."_

"_You must understand how serious this truly is. All of my life, I have fought against the Darkness, working to purge it from my universe. Now, your own is being threatened by this same Darkness."_

"_But fear not. Before my death, I have sent this gift, so that one with a strong Heart could eradicate that Darkness. You have been chosen… chosen by this mightiest of weapons, the Keyblade."_

"_I know this is confusing. I have embedded this message with the memories of my Heart. May the chains of memory in your Heart receive mine, so you may know this evil…"_

There was a sudden rush, an explosion of pain, and then his mind was rushing. It was almost too much, a sensory overload. Sudden images of fantastical worlds… the strangest people and creatures… and then, monsters. Jagged, terrifying, merciless…

Heartless.

Nobodies.

"_Look upon them. See and know their names and faces, for they are the faces of evil. Hearts filled with Darkness, Souls without emotion; they are evil incarnate. If you cannot stop them, they will devour your world… but fear not. You hold within you the Keyblade now. May your Heart be filled with Light, to drive back the Darkness and the Nothingness. Extinguish it. Exterminate it! I, King Mickey, deem you the chosen of the Keyblade, the Hero of light! Wipe away the Darkness, and any who would follow it!"_

Every night since then was the same. Constant dream fights against more and more Heartless, becoming used to the Keyblade. Learning of every enemy to be faced, every technique to be used. True, training in private would be required to build up the power of Light in the Heart to do these things in the waking world, but there was time. For now, there was only this power… righteous, practically holy power that was rightfully deserved. Not only because of worthy, powerful family, but the great and righteous quest that had been charged…

(_Flashback End_)

Asleep in one of those dreams, Sasuke could only smile.

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Meanwhile, a battle was being undertaken with the office of the Hokage. Sarutobi faced a challenge close to that of the massive amount of paperwork he'd been attending to that day. In front of him stood three people, all of whom had rushed to the village the moment they had seen the beams of light coming down from the sky. He was happy that the lone male had returned, but was even more pleased at the return of the female in the middle of the three… especially considering her past with the village. And her companion, holding a small pig beside them, was always a treat as well.

The problem would be getting all three of them to stay. Jiraiya most definitely would, maybe needing only one check on his information network. The problem with Tsunade was... going to be difficult.

"As you can see, the village remains untouched, and the part of the forest that was burned has been cleared out. Don't know what we'll be doing with the glass… and of course, we have a rocky but stable balance with the other villages still, no large problems… most importantly though, I am glad to see all three of you here, alive and unhurt." Sarutobi grinned widely, though his grin lessened somewhat as he noticed Tsunade's impatient acceptance of that statement. He knew she cared about her old sensei… getting her to stay for a village she didn't care for so much would be a problem.

"Look Sensei, I'm glad you're alright and all, but I should be going if everything is alright-"

"It isn't." Jiraiya strode over to a nice chair in the office and sat, pulling out a small bottle of sake and a saucer. He resisted the urge to smirk as his teammate twitched at seeing the alcoholic drink; she wouldn't be leaving so easily now. "Whether you noticed or not and whether you want to admit it or not, everything is really precariously balanced these days. The peace from the last war is becoming strained, the rumors of that shadow group Akatsuki, not to mention Shadow… this might all have been possible to control, but since those beams of death came down everyone is on edge. It's like someone lit the fuse to a powder keg- either we put it out, or let it blow."

"An unfortunate metaphor Jiraiya, but true nonetheless. Tsunade, I know you don't have the best… history here," He winced as she snorted in agreement, but continued. "But he's right. These days, we're all moving closer to hard times. Kami, I've even been getting back into better fighting condition. A man my age should be worrying about doting on and spoiling my young grandson… not all this possible calamity. I need strong pillars upon which to find support… upon which the village itself can rely. They have never truly forgotten Orochimaru's betrayal, and your departure with Shizune and Jiraiya's frequent absence isn't exactly comforting."

"And what, may I ask, is in it for me?"

Sarutobi sighed. He had hoped to win Tsunade over… true, he could see in her eyes the impact of his words, but he knew she still would not be convinced by that alone. The aged Kage reached into his desk, removing two folders he had saved for this very moment. He pushed them both towards her. The Slug Sannin pick up one and opened it… and moments later her eyes widened in shock.

"You're serious. I don't actually believe this… a full medical ninja program, down to the last detail. Sensei, you were the one that opposed this when I brought it up-"

"When we were at war and lacked the time and manpower. While I am worried about how much time we have before things might get out of control, we have enough medical personal now and enough potential. You would, of course, be in control of the entire program, and the hospital by default." Tsunade frowned, her eyes tracing over the papers a third time, apparently looking for some overlooked detail she could use as an excuse… nothing. She frowned, and then picked up the second folder, intrigued. She started reading the single, almost blank sheet, before her eyebrows almost shot off her face.

"No… now way…"

"Did you think it was a secret? The Fire Daimyo has contacted me every time your debts increase substantially. I simply decided that instead of letting them spiral even further out of control, I would take care of the problem myself. I have paid for those out of my own personal savings, and it was a pretty ryo too. So, you have two choices: accept the position, or I'll hold your debts to me. Even if I need to send Hunter-nin after you, I will." Sarutobi looked up at her with steel-cold eyes… though one could see in them a hint of sorrow at the move he was making, almost pleading with her not to force his hand. "Forgive me Tsunade, but I love this village and care too much for it, _and you_, to let you walk away now."

One could almost literally hear Tsunade's teeth grind. The teacher and student stared each other down for a moment, before she finally sighed and nodded in defeat.

"Alright then, _sensei_. You need someone to whip the place into shape I suppose. I'll be taking Shizune as my assistant, of course. We'll be going now; I'm sure we can find a hotel or something…" She turned to Jiraiya and snatched one of the saucers away, downing the sake in one shot. She then strode out, Shizune bowing and giving an apologetic smile before she turned to follow, Tonton clutched in her arms. Sarutobi sighed and turned to Jiraiya, looking even more like the tired old man he was…

"As necessary as it was to keep her, to do that to my own student, who once looked up to me… this job is painful sometimes my old friend."

"Why do you think I never took it in the first place? The stress would have made me age faster than you did." Jiraiya knocked back a saucer of sake, and then set the drink aside to lie back in the chair for a moment. "Things are happening so fast now; it's not a matter of if there will be conflict, but when and where. All we can do is get ready for it." Jiraiya stood, and though he was younger than his old sensei, his age seemed to really show for a moment. "A shame. It's so hard to really change the world… well, I'll send a few shadow clones out to my normal contacts, and then find a place to stay. Send someone if you need me for anything urgent."

As Sarutobi watched his second student depart, he pulled out his pipe and held it gingerly, before taking a tiny amount of tobacco from his desk. He hadn't been kidding when he said the money had come from his personal savings. He'd be cutting back on the smoking for a while… though that was most likely going to be a given, considering that war might be coming soon.

As he prepared to return to paperwork, a thought came that chilled Sasuke Sarutobi even worse than the future lack of smoking, and he shed a tear at the sad thought before getting back to work.

He… wouldn't be able to buy more bacon anymore either…

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"Are you sure Lee? I mean absolutely sure?"

"Of course Hinata. It would be insulting to the flames of my Youth if I had misinterpreted his hand gesture." Lee sighed. He knew she was only asking because both she and Shino we're going to be absent from their own teams if they waited much longer. Still, this was the third time, and it was getting to be a bit much. "I passed by Naruto and his team, and he talked to me directly with his seal."

"It ought to be a short conference then." Shino twirled his glasses slowly, relaxing against the wall as light reflected in his segmented eyes. "He knows we have business of our own to carry out underneath our individual covers… most likely he desires to introduce us to Zabuza and this Haku girl."

"You'll all meet them soon enough." Everyone's head turned, and as they looked to the bottom of the staircase to their hidden hideout, Naruto descended the last of them, henge falling away. A smile crossed his mature face as he gazed out over them, looking so pleased to see all of his friends again. Then, for a moment, his eyes seemed to light up all the brighter… and then the reason was made clear, as Hinata tackled the blonde against a wall. Their lips met in a clean, but intensely passionate kiss as only lovers can feel. Shino smiled but rolled his eyes. Lee chuckled, and then tapped his foot softly to indicate they should get back to business. The couple parted, barely even blushing – it wasn't the first time the two had done this to each other in front of their comrades.

"Right… so, as everyone saw, Wave Country is all set for Yamigakure. The construction has already begun, and the people themselves are helping with everything the Heartless can't. By the time the Chuunin Exams roll around, we'll be ready to move everyone in." His grin matched those of his friends for a moment, and then got wider. "To top it off, the Daimyo has officially consented and given us his support and blessings. Wave will soon go from independent territory to a full country, ruled by our good Tazuna-san… and our village will be officially recognized. Everything is going exactly as we hoped."

"Excellent. Truly this is a sign of your fortune Naruto. Our Hearts have long led us along this path, and now we are nearing our boon!" Lee's eyes seemed to burn with fire for a moment, and Naruto smirked nervously. He thanked Kami sometimes that Lee only lightly took after his adopted father. Imagine if he had fully emulated the man…

Those thoughts were interrupted as a Shadow warped into the hideout… barely. Its Darkness-comprised body flickered rapidly, and would have broken if Naruto didn't almost automatically send an influx of Darkness rushing from his hands. The power infused the Search Ghost, letting its Heart relax from struggling to keep the faux body together.

"That was close. It would have had to rebuild the body from scratch…" Before Hinata could continue, the Search Ghost turned to a largely open part of the room, and its eyes glowed before its memories projected into the empty space… and then the four of them saw everything.

The journey following Akatsuki.

The sealing of their seventh Bijuu.

The destruction of the statue during the 'Giant Beams of Death from the Sky' event.

The identities of Akatsuki and the deaths three of its members.

The identity of this 'Pein' figure and the death of Salamander Hanzo.

And the planned attack on Konoha during the Chuunin Exam- not just by Akatsuki, but by the forces of Rain itself.

And then, before any of them could even react to the shocking development, a second Search Ghost, this one undamaged, suddenly appeared. Without any signal to do so, it too started to project its memories into the room… revealing the nature of the attack during the Exam by Orochimaru, and Danzo's own treachery.

Finally, the memory ended, and the light from the projection faded. The room seemed to actually be darker than it had been before as that light faded, reflecting their troubled thoughts. Lee suddenly slumped back against a wall, rubbing a growing migraine in his temples.

"Well… that's ONE way to douse the fires of one's Youth…"

"Indeed. This is a most problematic development." Shino's eyes furrowed, the action barely visible behind his dark glasses. "Akatsuki and Rain, Danzo and Root, Orochimaru and Sound, not to mention the Leaf's forces… our plan was to ensure that Akatsuki would facilitate an attempt on the last two Bijuu during the exam, confront Akatsuki outside of the village and terminate their members before resigning and then departing from Konoha… now, it will be a two-on-one assault on the Leaf, and when Akatsuki arrives it will be three-on-one… and when Orochimaru and Danzo facilitate their mutual betrayal, the entirety of Konoha will be potentially host to a four-way war zone, with the civilians trapped in between it all. And that is not including our own devices mixed in."

"We aren't prepared for this… it's a potential nightmare. It disrupts everything Shadow has been working towards. We need to come up with – er… Naruto-kun?" Hinata paused, her words dying in her throat. For Naruto, who had been silent since the last memory finished playing, had suddenly begun to laugh. Not the dark, disturbing laugh of a cliché villain, but the hard laugh of a man who suddenly found something so funny he absolutely couldn't help himself… and considering the situation, his love, best friend/brother, and his other close friend were absolutely nonplussed.

"… Hooooo boy… I haven't had a good, long laugh like that in a while." Naruto grinned, amused by the absolutely confused looks on the faces of his compatriots. "This is perfect. Don't you see? This is an opportunity to wipe out not just one, or even two, but three potential threats, and take away an enemy to Sarutobi. To top it off, eliminating such powerful shinobi will cement our reputation and ward off any immediate threats to the Land of Waves. We'll crush the opposition all at once."

"Indeed the idea has most Youthful merit…" Lee frowned, cracking his knuckles in thought. "Still, the original plan was to deal with Akatsuki as a group… this will require us to split up, dealing also with Danzo and Root and Orochimaru and whatever dangerous men serve him… I will not lie Naruto, I do not like this. Akatsuki has only seven members now, but each one is S-rank at least! I know we are all very powerful, but I think you might be overestimating our abilities – "

"No. I'm not, not in the slightest." Naruto looked from Lee to Shino to Hinata, and their eyes widened as one – his eyes were burning with the fierce confidence and intensity that had inspired them so many times before. "I'm fully confident we can stand toe-to-toe with them, as well as Orochimaru and whatever lackeys may follow him. As for this army of Pein's, and whatever forces Orochimaru might use, we all know the Heartless can handle them… we'll counter their men, and their summon snakes with a crack force of Heartless and Nobodies… I'll even bring out a few of the bigger ones if I have to. Understand this now, all of you- this HAS to be a victory. Against Orochimaru, against Danzo, against Akatsuki. If even one of those three enemies survives this, we'll still have a major threat to the land of Waves. Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari… and every single person on that island put their faith and their dreams upon our shoulders with this whole scheme. We cannot fail, not with all of them watching. We WILL not fail."

"… Actions speak louder than words, but that was an excellent speech, brother!" Lee grinned, his eyes burning suddenly with a fire almost matching his adoptive father's. "This new plan is foolproof! We have only to display the power of our most amazing Hearts, and victory will be ours! We'll fight them all, and stand victorious!" As Lee prepared to continue, a clapping sound was heard in one of the halls connected to the atrium. The sounds of footsteps joined in, and soon the form of one Zabuza Momochi was visible to the members of Shadow.

"Not bad kid… if it wasn't for what Naruto told me about all of ya, I'd say that was a load of hot air… but not bad. Anyway, I'm going to visit that training space you told me about boss… Haku's checking our rooms and she'll be out here soon." The Demon of the Mist strode back from whence he came, leaving a smirking Naruto… and a slightly tense group of people.

"That was good… we never even sensed him when we came down here. Powerful as us or not, he is skilled, I'll give him that." Hinata nodded in approval, before she suddenly continued with another thought. "Naruto-kun… that 'special endeavor' we planned… I'm doing it today. I found an opportunity coming up that cannot be missed. It will be harder with all of these new developments though, won't it?"

"Then we'll just have to be twice as careful. I really want to be sure we can get this special bonus task done… especially for you." He smiled, even more so when she pressed him to the wall again, her lips taking his for a good moment. She pulled back, smiling.

"Best boyfriend ever… well, Shino and I have to run, or Kurenai-sensei will start getting nosy. Say hello to this Haku girl for us." Taking a moment for one last, loving kiss, she turned and ran up the stairs, Shino right behind her. Naruto and Lee watched them leave, the latter chuckling at his sworn brother.

"What? What is it Lee?"

"Nothing, brother," Lee grinned, shaking his head and running a hand through the spiky hair. "It is simply funny. I do not deny your love for each other is true and sweet, an inspiration to lovers everywhere… but if people only knew that the leader of Shadow, a man who probably is at least an SS-rank shinobi, the Master of Darkness, turns into a lovesick puppy...a most Youthful display of affection! Yet you never make any coy or bold moves yourself... you're too much of a 'nice guy romantic' Naruto!"

"Hey, you try meeting that special someone, and see if you don't turn weird." Naruto smirked, and looked toward the staircase his soul mate had left on. "For her, I'd walk to the end of the world, you know that Lee. Just wait till you find someone who strikes you that much… heh, you'll be so excited you'll actually sound like your dad when he talks about Youth." Lee shivered a bit at the statement.

"Do not even joke about that… Gai is a wonderful man that I am proud to call my father, and his thoughts on the philosophy of Youth are valid… but I am thankful that I have remained as calm as I am when I talk about it myself. I cannot think of anything that would make me that excited–"

"Hello? Naruto-sama? Zabuza-sama asked me to come and meet everyone who- sorry, am I interrupting something?" The two boys turned… and Lee's jaw dropped, wider than it ever had in his life. Standing in the frame of one of the hallways, one hand gently leaning on the corner of the wall… was what could only undoubtedly be an Angel… a raven-haired angel with a blue battle kimono and a most elegant hair bun and-

As Lee's eyes roamed, taking in all the non-perverted details of her beauty, Naruto held in his snicker and turned to her. "Haku, good to see you. Shino and Hinata-chan left to keep their cover up, but this guy here is Lee, my best friend and sworn brother. I'll let you two get acquainted; I have some business to attend to." Naruto smirked and turned to ascend the stair case. He almost wished he could stay and watch this, but he decided to give his brother some privacy…

… Besides, the Search Ghost he summoned to hide in the wall would get everything anyway…

[Editor's note: Oh Naruto, you little rogue ^/_\^]

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Lee was rooted to the spot. An Armored Knight Heartless could have been slicing at his head and he wouldn't have even noticed. His breath had absolutely been stolen by her… this Haku girl.

Was this how Naruto felt when he had first met Hinata? This sudden elation of seeing into a world beyond, where only angels lived? He couldn't take his eyes away from her face, rooted there like a magnet.

For her part, Haku was resisting the urge to roll her eyes. It was obvious the boy thought she was cute… admittedly, he was one of the few she'd ever met who knew she was a girl… and the only one she remembered that actually kept his eyes above chest level. To his credit, he was looking only at her face, and seemed stunned, though in a more innocent way. It was a refreshing change from the subtlety lecherous kinds of stares she'd gotten once or twice before… maybe he wasn't too bad. Her eyes studied his face, and she quickly identified him as Lee Maito… Naruto-sama had really described those thick eyebrows perfectly, though she actually didn't mind them. In an odd way, they were cute really.

"You're Lee, right? It's a pleasure to meet you. I-"

"YOU ARE HAKU-CHAN, YES? NEVER BEFORE HAVE I SEEN SUCH BEAUTY AND GRACE IN ANY LIVING PERSON! I BEG YOU; GO ON A DATE WITH ME SO I CAN SHOW YOU MY YOUTHFUL PASSION! I SWEAR I WILL PROTECT YOU WITH MY LIFE! I...!" For the first time _**ever**_, Lee had truly emulated his adoptive father's 'youthful' spirit… to that same point where it was just way too over-the-top. Lee blanched white and seemed to vanish in the next instant. Haku blinked and looked around, before giggling at seeing Lee huddled in the fetal position on a corner, mumbling to himself, "Bad Lee, bad Lee, bad Lee…"

"… As I was going to say, I am Haku, and I have to admit, that's probably the most spirited flirt I've ever seen anyone give anyone in all my years." She lifted the boy to his feet, smirking at the still-embarrassed red suffusing his face. "Anyway, Naruto-sama told Zabuza-sama and I that you're quite the shinobi and taijutsu expert… mind a spar? If you win… well, I'll let you take me out for a nice date tonight. Sound fun?" Lee blushed more, surprised that this older looking girl was blatantly asking him out. Lee didn't have… well, any track record with girls, never meeting or seeing any that were interesting to him. It was a new experience. Before he could speak though, she continued. "But if I win… well, you won't have any choice except to take me out." Haku winked, enjoying the flirt. He really seemed to be a nice guy like Naruto-sama had described- she had decided to give Lee a shot. Plus, the fact he was cute was a nice bonus…

"A one-on-one spar? Alright then, I accept your challenge." Lee hopped back and slid into the Goken stance, his face set into a grin of delight- the wager was only a bonus now, for he loved little more than a good fight. "I warn you, I refuse to judge an opponent based on gender. I'll give you all that I have got and show the power of my Youth Haku-chan!" Haku giggled, blushing a bit at the statement. She had to admit, it didn't sound too bad when he said it.

"Alright. Still, Naruto-sama told us about your incredible strength and speed. I am strong, but I bet you could break me apart easily with your strength and style. So… I'll see if I'm faster than you." Her hands suddenly gripped together in a seal. A moment of silence, and then Lee heard the strangest sound of rushing water.

_It sounds like it's coming from the bathroom… what is she-_

Suddenly, a torrent of water came rushing through midair. It circled the two combatants, like a blue liquid halo.

"Apparently Naruto-sama didn't tell you about my Bloodline… the ability to combine Water chakra and Wind chakra to a great extent, in order to form something more…" Suddenly, the water broke apart into many large orbs… exactly 21. They circled Lee and Haku, forming a circle of 12 orbs of water, 8 above them, and the last one above them all in the center.

Then, to Lee's shock, the water twisted into the form of 21 perfect rectangles… before they started to freeze. Literally. Soon, a chill took over Lee as he was surrounded by 21 blocks of ice, despite the warm air in the room.

"**Ice Style: Demonic Ice Mirrors**…" Haku stepped backwards towards one of the mirrors, and then actually stepped **into** the ice, leaving Lee dumbstruck. Haku grinned, reaching for a few Senbon. Even now, in the face of such an unknown technique, shocked as he was, she could make out that every fiber of him was alert and tensed to move…. Impressive. He truly was someone to fear as an enemy.

"Well? Are you ready…?"

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"I hope this is good news Kabuto. It's been a week since you last informed me of Kimimaro's condition, so I expect you haven't called me here to disappoint me, or give me a tour of my own dungeon. " The Sannin looked across the small room towards a large window. Behind the blinds currently covering it was a massive underground cavern where he kept hundreds of prisoners, most of whom were either skilled fighters of those gifted with unique abilities by his… work.

"Orochimaru-sama, thank you for coming. I must first inform you of a tragic loss… yesterday, Yukimaru passed on from this world." Orochimaru twitched, and suddenly Kabuto could feel the tiniest bit of warmth on cheek; his own blood no doubt. The kunai was buried up to the hilt behind him.

"How… how did that happen Kabuto? And what does it have to do with why I am here?"

"As you know, Yukimaru wanders… _wandered_ around the base at times when you had no need for him. The boy came into the lab as we were finishing the last of rebuilding Kimimaro's muscle. He was in perfect physical condition apart from his persistent unconsciousness. Yukimaru was leaning over Kimimaro's body when our good Kaguya begin to stir… at least we thought. Apparently he was in a nightmare of some kind; he kept mumbling your name and started to thrash around. Then, without warning, his Curse Seal went to level One in an instant, and his eyes opened. He swung an arm with multiple sharp bones protruding. Yukimaru was falling to the floor, dead, before we could even react. Kimimaro then killed two more medics and launched off multiple spikes of bone into the equipment before I could calm him down." Orochimaru frowned at the news. He had only just started to experiment with the boy, and now any future potential he'd had was gone. Still…

"Killing Yukimaru was on reflex obviously… but why the med-nin and the equipment? What was his reasoning for that?"

"When he calmed down and the Curse Seal had faded, Kimimaro said he's been having a very disturbing nightmare, of you in danger… then he felt a rush of power, and then his head felt like it would explode. That is when he awoke and struck out in reflex. He said it felt… raw, and primal. He killed the medics and damaged the equipment before he finally recognized me, though apparently that was difficult." Kabuto went over to a small table, taking one of many photographs of what appeared a normal human brain. "Every human being has a more primal, primitive instinct to their subconscious. Fight or flight. Apparently, ever since his Curse Seal was altered by that strange event, its activation causes that more primitive part of his mind to grow and become more dominant."

"A sort of reverse mental evolution then… interesting. Did it increase when he reached level Two?" In response, Kabuto smirked, and pointed to the window.

"Lord Orochimaru, I think you would be interested to look at your prison." The Snake Sannin frowned, not really in a mood for riddles. He crossed to the window, ripped the blinds away… and his eyes widened in amazement.

The massive underground prison was filled with many hundreds of his experimental prisoners, whom he kept behinds bars and seals. All of whom had either great fighting prowess or strange, deadly abilities. All of the cages had apparently been opened… and ALL of the prisoners were dead. Their bodies were strewn about the massive cavern in a display of carnage the likes of which he had never even see. Some had been physically crushed, some impaled into the rock. Others were filled with a multitude of holes, or cut to ribbons

And in the bottom of the pit, in its very center, only one man was standing and alive. It took not even a moment for Orochimaru to know that this man had done all of this with his bloodline.

Kimimaro.

"Incredible… all of this with the first level of the Curse Seal? His power is great indeed now that he is uninfected by the virus–"

"No, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto walked over to stand beside his boss, looking over the carnage. "I ordered the prisoners to attack Kimimaro, promising them freedom if they slew him. He cut them all down… without any help from your mark at all. His power is… almost frightening." Kabuto pushed his glasses up, grinning in apparent anticipation. "Now, you'll see Level 1… and, if this goes right, we'll see how Level Two affects his mental processing." He pushed a button next to the window, and his voice suddenly echoed across the cavern through hidden speakers. "It is time… Guren."

The Sannin's eyebrows rose and the young Crystal Style user entered the cave, leaping down into the pit. Kimimaro regarded her with a boring look, as if she hadn't even entered the area.

"Alright Kimimaro, go to Level one, and then just stand there. We need to see how much punishment your new strength can take. And know this… right now, next to me, is Lord Orochimaru…" The Kaguya's eyes widened, and suddenly his face was set into grim determination… and, Orochimaru noticed, a hint of pain. The Seal glowed, and the familiar black markings spread across his body. The Sannin grinned, able to feel the power even from as high up as he was. "How do you feel Kimimaro?" The bone user started to speak, his voice sounding gruffer and like he was in slight pain.

"Kimimaro is hurting. Body burns, but feels strong. Kimimaro know Kimimaro fight, win for Lord Orochimaru. Kimimaro not lose to weakling." Guren bristled. She knew about his bloodlines legendary strength and fighting prowess, and could feel his power from where she stood… but weakling? He dared call her that? This fool would pay. If she could beat a monster like this… Orochimaru would HAVE to take her body for his own. Young though she was, Guren WAS a near master of her style. Even this bone-using Neanderthal would die. He grinned at the thought, her hands already blurring through seals.

"I'll skip the small stuff and give you a taste of real power. **Crystal Style: Hexagonal Shuriken: Wild Dance!**" The snowflake-like crystals quickly materialized around her, their numbers incredible. They then started to spin like made, and she flung her arms out. The deadly, sharp crystals raced towards Kimimaro with an almost unnatural speed. Some were already digging long gouges in the solid rock below their feet, but the majority of the dozens of bladed weapons were on target, poised to tear Kimimaro to ribbons-

And then they bounced off, like a knife flung at a brick wall. The shuriken clattered to the ground, not even leaving scratches his skin. Kimimaro didn't even flinch as they finished striking his frame.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Kabuto pushed his glasses further up, enjoying the look of frustration on the kunoichi's face. Guren always had been cocky towards him… "As you can see, the primitive speech is a more obvious side-effect. His mental processing has been slowed, but he is no less loyal. I don't think you should be giving him complicated instructions though. I can't imagine how far he'll regress at level 2…"

Guren frowned, and then rushed through seals again with a cry of "**Crystal Style: Crystal Needle Scattering Destruction!**" The massive needles of crystal quickly formed and launched at high speed. If she couldn't slice that damn skeleton of his, she'd pierce it-

But the needles were already bouncing off, same as the blades had. Guren swore, and then started again. She couldn't lose, she wouldn't! She was too loyal to her Lord to fail against such a simple fool like this one!

"**Crystal Style: Tearing Crystal Falling Dragons!**" Soon, a dozen crystal dragons hovered about the girl, as massive and deadly s they were stunning to behold. Even as they rushed through the air from their master, Guren started through the longest string of seals yet. The bastard was a sitting duck, yet he shrugged her attacks off like nothing… fine. She'd end it, one way or another. Even as the dragons shattered against his frame, the crystal falling to pieces, she finished the hand seals for her best jutsu… the greatest Crystal Style jutsu of all.

"**Crystal Style: Jade Crystal Wall Eight Formation!**" Suddenly massive pillars shot from the ground around Kimimaro, like the dead rising to her call. He stood unfazed, staring her down even as one pillar shot up in front of him, obscuring his body from her sight. She then began another long string of seals, even as more gargantuan pillars of crystal pushed out from the ground and from the crystal already there. A few more moments, and the jutsu finished. Dozens of crystal pillars, all at least fifty feet tall, created an indomitable prison in a thirty foot circle around her opponent. Guren finished the seals, panting. That one jutsu was a real chakra burner, and she'd put much into the previous techniques… but this would finish it. He was already crystallized within that prison, she knew it. This would destroy him, and prove her power to Lord Orochimaru without question. She panted harder as she poured a large amount of chakra into the jutsu.

"**Crystal Style: Giant Hexagonal Shuriken: Wild Dance!**" As deadly as the original **Wild Dance** had been, this one was comprised of even larger, sharper crystal shuriken, the deadliest she could create, and the only ones capable of cutting through the massive, dense crystal towers before her. They whizzed forward as if cutting the very air itself, and then reached the forest of crystal. They sliced in; cutting so deep into the structure that even Guren couldn't see them.

Orochimaru looked down, frowning at the forest of crystal, before grinning at Guren's form.

"A shame. I thought that with his new strength he'd defeat her… it seems that the rare **Crystal Style** truly is remarkable beyond my expectations. Very well. See if we can salvage anything from his body; I don't expect much, that attack was undeniably strong. And make sure Guren is provided for very well; she'll make an excellent host while I prepare young Sasuke for–" The Sannin's words were brought to an end as the forest of massive crystals started to shake. They began to topple, crashing to the floor with devastating crashes. He looked out the window beside Kabuto, amazed at what he was almost sure was happening…

Guren could only stare in shock. It was impossible! That attack should have caught him dead cold, and crystallized his entire body! She grimaced, and with a swipe of one arm a blade of crystal formed on the other. She'd rush in and cut the bone-wielding bastard down-

And then, as the dust cleared… she saw him. It was not the same-looking Kimimaro; that was certain. His formerly pale skin was now a darkish, ominous gray. The boy looked a bit taller, and was more muscled than previously seen… but the more disturbing changes seemed to be connected to his bloodline. Six massive spike of bone protruded from his back and below them a large, thick lizard-like tail whipped around lazily, shards of bone protruding from it.

_He's like a lizard… some kind of reptilian monster. Is this the second level of Orochimaru's Curse Mark?_ Guren then looked at the ground at the feet of the… 'thing', and noticed massive pieces of bone, huge rounded portions that almost looked like part of… of… _an egg. He created a sphere of bone, protecting him from being crystallized while he stayed safe inside and transformed. Kami… he was untouchable before… he'll destroy me without having to even think about it now!_ Guren started to back off slowly, thinking how best to retreat, when she blinked- and Kimimaro was gone. She gasped, and then felt her back hit something. She turned, and there he was. He'd become so much faster! His right arm had massive spikes of bone protruding from the middle, stretching out beyond the reach of his hand… coming right for her head.

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Orochimaru grinned wildly as he watched Guren's corpse drop to the floor. This was beyond his dreams… his greatest weapon had gone from an invalid who could still massacre Jonin, to a near unstoppable, loyal killing machine… he himself would be hard pressed to injure the Kaguya boy.

"Remarkable… I can feel his power from here. Even if he didn't have my mark, he'd be strong, but now… truly, his clan was foolish to hide him away and fear his potential."

"Indeed Orochimaru-sama. Still, we'd best see how his mental condition currently is." Kabuto hit the switch, his voice blaring into the cavern over loudspeakers once more. "Alright Kimimaro, now Orochimaru wants-" Before he could finish, the form of Kimimaro seemed to blur and disappear… before it was visible again before their eyes. Kimimaro had leapt **hundreds** of feet like it was nothing, and broke through the sturdy glass window like it was tissue. Before they could even react, Kimimaro had bashed into Kabuto, sending the young man into the opposite wall, leaving a small crater as he fell to the floor. Kimimaro rushed forward, the spikes on his arm poised to run Kabuto through, until Orochimaru gripped the boy's arm. Kimimaro turned, prepared to stab whoever was stopping him- and then froze. It was… him.

"**Lord… Orochimaru?" Why… stop… me? Man… was not hurting…. Orochimaru?"**

"No Kimimaro, he was not. He is… a friend." The Otokage almost chuckled at the very primitive speech his weapon had been reduced to, and his actions. Apparently, the Sannin was one of the few thing s the boy could remember besides how to manipulate his bloodline. "But you Kimimaro… you are more than I ever dreamed of. Rest here for now. I'll come back for you later." Orochimaru picked up, Kabuto's form, and was walking out the door, when Kimimaro spoke again.

"**I… Obey… Lord Orochimaru. Only… loyal… Lord… Orochimaru. I… kill… his enemies…"**

"Yes Kimimaro… yes you will." The Sannin left, planning to look over his plans for Konoha again. This would be a new twist, better than all of the Sound Four and the others he'd lost. He now had an extremely powerful weapon… the foolish Leaf ninja wouldn't know what hit them.

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Kimimaro growled, his tail swiping a table aside into the wall like it was a fly. The power hurt and burned beyond anything he'd ever known. His entire being burned with pain like it was on fire.

And his mind… it was like a stormy sea at night, and it tossed his rational mind around like a broken ship, breaking it with every wave. He clung to whatever bits of rational thought he could, unused to this new power and its mental drawbacks. His mind clung to those bits like driftwood, but the sea of pain and primitive anger and rage dashed even those to pieces. He felt himself falling into the waters of insanity, light fading as he plunged to darkness. He was gone from everything, even Lord Orochimaru…

…

…

…

… _**Lord**_… _**Orochimaru**_…

As if hooked to a life preserver, Kimimaro felt his mind suddenly pulled from the darkness at the thought of the man to whom he owed everything. The pain and anger started to leave him as the Curse Seal began to power down. With every moment passed, he could feel his conscious, rational mind slowly returning, though his body ached with exhaustion. Kimimaro fell to his knees, but despite what had just happened, he smiled, even as he started passing into sleep.

This only proved the one truth Kimimaro had known for all these years, one that he knew would stay with him until his dying day.

Even in the most terrifying moments darkness and despair…

There was Lord Orochimaru.

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_**Preview:**_

_Naruto: Are we ready concerning the last Jinchuriki?_

_Hinata: Yes Naruto. We'll be ready, but... are you sure you wish to confront him alone?_

_Naruto: Hinata… only I can understand what's he's been through. Hopefully, I can talk him down without a fight._

_Gaara: Mother trembles from your presence, in excitement and fear… just what are you?_

_Next Time: Of Love and Hate. Save him from the path you might have known Naruto!_

_Sasuke: The power of the Keyblades…of the Light in my Heart… unreal…_

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Man, some of your favorite semi-major characters are dead. [Editor's note: *shakes fist*] Good thing none of you know where I live… right?

This story is going in a direction I am enjoying, which pleases the Hell out of me. I don't know how long the next one will take, and I don't know how long I'll make the chapter, and I don't know if working during the summer will be more time consuming than college.

Ja ne!


	16. Of Love and Hate

((I do not own Naruto, Magic: The Gathering, or Legend of Legaia.))

Wow, that took forever, didn't it folks? Thankfully, I can happily say this chapter is done! We've gotten through quite a story so far, haven't we? And with only days until the exam, it's all coming close to an explosive climax to blow your minds!

Just a quick thing, since a couple people PMed me about him: Ryoza is inspired by one or two very _very_ specific military figures in history - cookies for anyone who can guess them! He was originally a nothing character, but as he became necessary for yet another scene, and then another, he actually grew on me to the point he has now become at least a semi-major character, with a fair amount of scenes. I'm hoping by the time everything comes to a head in the final showdown, you'll actually be rooting for him- and he's working for Orochimaru! I'm sorry if people don't like him, but I like him too much now to stop, so let's see how he goes!

I never could get any lines to separate sections for my story to work- still no idea how!- so I've tried using ((Page Break)) to indicate this, so that my story won't all run together confusingly like the all of the previous chapters. I don't intend to go back and fix the previous ones though- I want to just keep going with what I have. And as always, if someone could tell me how to make those, I will be grateful.

As always, I look for thoughtful, good critiques and reviews to make this story of mine better. I do it for you as much as for me after all.

And of course, my greatest thanks to Narai Moroha, whose efforts keep me from looking like an idiot.

Are you ready kids?

Let's get it on.

**I can't hear you…**

**Let's get it on!**

**Ooooohhhh…**

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Sixteen**

_**Of Love and Hate. Save him from the path you might have known Naruto!**_

((Page Break))

"And where are you hurrying off to so quickly Kabuto?" Orochimaru grinned as the boy paused his brisk walk… one no doubt rooted in his humiliation in being knocked out in a single blow, even though Kimimaro had been the one who caused it. "I will be leaving soon for Otogakure, and then getting ready to move to Konoha. I need you back within that wretched place soon, before someone notices you've been missing." Kabuto frowned, sliding his glasses ever so slightly up his nose.

"As you obviously know, Lord Orochimaru, Guren IS dead. I'm going to take some samples of her blood and see if I can gain anything interesting from her genetic coding."

"Hm… yes, of course Kabuto. As I recall, she denied you the opportunity to do that many times… sometimes violently so." The Sanin grinned at the slightly darkened frown on Kabuto's face, recalling the memories of those encounters. He continued on, leaving his second-in-command behind.

Kabuto almost growled at those very memories, and then hurried on with a quickened pace, matching how his pulse rose in anger. Guren… that crystal-forming bitch. He'd never gotten used to her smug attitude… he had his own moments of arrogance, true, but at least he had earned that smugness through real work and achievement. No fancy bloodline had ever helped him.

_And one of those bloodlines will soon make you useless to Orochimaru…_

Kabuto shook the errant thought about Sasuke from his head and turned his mind to Guren, lest it wander back to that destructive train of possibility.

Kabuto soon emerged into the large cavern that was once one of Orochimaru's dungeons. The bodies Kimimaro had strewn about still lay there, most of their blood having coagulated and dried into the rock by now. The stench of it was even thicker, and had he not been a professional medic-nin he might have been unnerved by it. The towers of crystal lay at the bottom, their shattered wreckage despite their size and material a crumbled monument to the power of the Kaguya clan. Kabuto stepped past them without even the slightest glace- he'd taken crystal from her before, and had gleaned nothing from it. The bitch had probably laughed behind his back every damn time-

And there she was. He grinned, looking down at Guren's corpse. Several large holes lay in the side of her head, the blood having ceased its flow some time ago. Kabuto clutched a twitching hand, resisting the urge to stomp the arrogant bitch's head in, like he'd always wanted too. Sighing in disappointment, Kabuto reached down to grasp her arm and drag her up-

And as he gripped it, the arm suddenly cracked, and then fragmented easily under his clutch. Kabuto leapt back, expecting a trap of some sort, but nothing. He stepped closer to glean a better look… and frowned. It was crystal. He picked her dismembered hand up, squeezed, and it too broke into shards. Kabuto kicked her side lightly, and heard a loud clunking sound. Her entire body was one big, realistic crystal. Not some clone, no, this was the real Guren, and Kimimaro had finished her for good. But her body-either by a natural reaction to her death, or in one last act to enrage Kabuto- was completely crystallized. Turned into the same useless crystal he'd tried to experiment on before. He turned to the blood on the floor, the same blood Kimimaro had spilled from her head, and gnashed his teeth as he saw that despite it's simply dried appearance, it too was now crystal. The bitch… it was her last act of arrogance against Kabuto, he knew it! His foot rose, trembling in barely restrained rage.

"Damn you to Hell." He muttered, and without another word Kabuto brought his foot down to smash her skull to pieces, determined to savor that moment at least.

((Page Break))

A day. It had only been a day since they had returned to Konoha, and yet it felt like a lifetime since they had first come to him. So natural in his hands, like the feel of an old friend.

The Keyblades.

Sasuke gripped them both tighter- 'Guardian Soul' in his left hand, and 'Sleeping Lion' in the right. He ran through the motions again, swinging the odd-looking swords again and again in a flurry of rhythm- block, stab, strike, stab, block, spin, block, slash, block, parry, stab, stab, strike-

To any outsider, it might have seemed like a normal swordsman practicing. To that same trained swordsman, he would seem to be fighting an invisible foe as they did, their practice always against opponents in their mind. The second was right, though in a different manner.

Sasuke wasn't sure if it was his own mind and ninja's imagination, or if the Keyblade's were at work. He only knew that he saw his opponents clear as day. Not with his eyes closed, like a normal sword user, but wide open and alert. He saw all of his opponents…

Heartless and Nobody alike.

He was starting to truly suspect the latter. The Keyblades had a strange sensation to them, almost like consciousness and sentience. Just as they had chosen him, they showed Sasuke the enemy he would soon face. Heartless and Nobodies, in all of their vile, twisted forms and abilities, the very creatures he'd been shown in dreams ever since he first saw that message. Though they weren't there, he could feel the heat of balls of fire as Red Nocturne attempted to turn him to ash. He felt wind rushing against his skin as Large Bodies missed by inches in their attempts to pound him into the dust, though no craters were left by their assaults. Samurai Nobodies clashed their blades to his, and Sasuke swore the Keyblades were doing something to his muscles, for despite a lack of a tangible opponent he felt the impact, the struggle to push those katana back.

Sasuke then leapt up above the non-existent throng of evil creatures below. He grinned, feeding into 'Guardian Soul' some of the new power that he'd been gifted by these miraculous weapons. Light coursed from his Heart into the sword, and it glowed as his arm reared back in preparation. Sasuke looked down upon the sea of vile, unholy creatures below, and smiled. Someday, the real thing would be below… and his righteous pleasure at what he was about to do would be even greater.

"**Strike Raid**…"

His arm shot out, and the Keyblade was released from his hand. It pierced right through an Air Soldier, before striking a Dusk and continuing through into the ground. It would have ended there normally, returning to Sasuke's hand as his Heart called the blade back…

But long before this day, Sora had discovered many ways to use the Keyblade, ways Sasuke slowly learned even now.

The extra Light Sasuke had pushed into 'Guardian Soul' released as it hit the ground, pushing out in an explosive sphere. The raw power swept over the imagined Heartless and Nobodies, exterminating their foul presence from his view.

As Sasuke landed, his eyes swept over the area. If any had survived, now or in a real battle, they wouldn't escape his eyes… not with three tomoe resting in each of them.

Yes, Sasuke possessed the Sharingan. He still remembered the morning after he received the Keyblades, where he had awoken to feel his eyes burning in pain, his teeth gritted to prevent alerting the other members of Team Seven. He'd thrashed silently in the still dark hours of early morning, twisting and turning in his bed within Tazuna's household. Clawing at his burning orbs till he thought his eyelids would bleed, until finally it had stopped. Sasuke has reached into his pack for a mirror, usually kept as a sunlight-reflector for signals. Fearful of what had happened to his precious eyes, he stared into them… Sasuke had never been aware he could smile that widely. Three tomoe upon awakening his bloodline; not even Itachi had done so, despite being the first to ever unlock them at a very young age. It was unprecedented in the history of his clan.

None of them knew yet, of course. He'd kept it silent for a whole week, and the Keyblades too- today was the first day he'd trained with both new acquisitions. Sasuke planned to keep them all a secret, for the moment at least. It was glorious to train with them- as good as those illusions of the Heartless and Nobodies were, as real as their attacks felt, to Sasuke all but the fastest seemed to be moving through water. The degree of vision and perception Sasuke's new eyes gave him was like a drug… and most likely thanks to the power of the Keyblades, his body was adjusting extremely well to the rush. Konoha would be pleased that their precious Sharingan wasn't dead, but to Sasuke, it meant so much more. His eyes, the Keyblades…with every day he felt himself moving closer to defeating not only his brother, but any of the vile beings of Darkness and Nothingness hiding in his world, probably preparing to strike. With such weapons of righteousness fueling him, Sasuke would crush them, his brother - _anything_ that stood in his path.

Sasuke grinned, looking at the crater left by the last attack. He sighed contently, and then the Keyblades vanished in a sparkle of Light. When he called for them with his Heart they would return, he knew it to be so. He then started to leap into the tree line, away from the clearing. Whether or not anyone in Konoha could sense something like Light, the explosion would have at least caught someone's attention. And he would be noticed missing if away for too long. Sasuke sighed again, this time in slight frustration. If only he didn't have to do this every time, he could train so much more, become so much more powerful… still, he would gain the power he needed. His Heart was more than strong enough.

It was undeniable. His power grew daily, though in no thanks to his team or his sensei. They had no idea of how truly incredible his potential was, and he suffered for having to slow himself down for them. Sasuke wasn't foolish enough to think he deserved more just based on his name- despite his clan's fabled reputation, for not every Uchiha had been destined for true greatness. But he wasn't just an Uchiha damn it. He was the last, the one charged with vengeance for his slain clan, his murdered family! Members of other clan's didn't awaken from nightmares of their parents slaughtered before their eyes, didn't stare in horror at hands that were drowned in blood from flashbacks were he stumbled next to a corpse that had been a relation! His revenge was righteous and justified, pure in its reckoning. Konoha should have been devoting everything to helping him!

And yet, it only made sense that he now wielded the Keyblades, powerful weapons of Light and goodness. Destiny had chosen him, Sasuke Uchiha, to be a warrior of right and to cast all evil and wrong aside. History would celebrate the righteous hatred that coursed through him, born of the terrible events in the chains of his Heart's memories.

His past, his present… they filled with monumental events that had shaped him for this destiny, which could only point to such a bright, glorious future!

((Page Break))

Not even five minutes later, an ANBU descended to the floor of the forested clearing, stepping out of the tree itself. He took in the area, though mainly the crater there, still smoking ever so slightly. There was no sign of anyone still nearby.

Tenzo sighed. When Captain Hiruhan had retired and handed the office of ANBU captain to him, his former leader had pulled him aside and told him how over the past few years, he'd had experiences both on and off duty of sensing odd, incredibly faint disturbances in the forests around the village. No sign of chakra, but it was definitely… something. Still, the years had given Kensik no leads, nothing but craters and scenes of evidence of sparring or techniques being used.

And in the months since Tenzo had taken over as ANBU captain, he'd had the same experiences as well. Apparently, it hadn't been a paranoid fantasy or the 'joke on the new guy'. And now, with that incident only a week ago… they had passed it off to the majority of the village populace and ninja as testing a very powerful, experimental jutsu… but those involved in the investigation had absolutely no idea what it had been, as no chakra had been detected, not even by Konoha's fabled Barrier Team. Everyone was stumped.

The simple truth was that someone or something was getting into Konoha's territory, and whatever power it had wasn't chakra. Still, in all his talks with the Hokage, Sarutobi had given no indication of any hidden information, or any indication that he'd detected the same odd disturbances that either ANBU captain had. Tenzo knew he would have to speak with Sarutobi about this very soon, and hoped he'd be taken seriously… if he hadn't been sensing them himself, he'd think anyone reporting this was getting nervous reactions.

Tenzo could only shake his head as he began the trip back to Konoha. This job was getting just too weird…

((Page Break))

"Papa, Papa, look what I drew!"

Hizaku Hyuuga looked up from his desk, a wide smile born on his lips at the sight of his daughter. The 4-year old girl ran into the room as fast as her little legs would carry her, a piece of paper clutched in both hands. She reached her father's side, both arms stretching up in a sign that she wanted 'up'. The leader of the Hyuuga Branch family laughed, hefting his little Hiyori up onto his lap as she laid the work of art on top of his papers. Requests for supplies for the Branch members, patrol reports, memos… to him, they all paled in comparison to the adorable, crudely drawn yellow cat before him. He smiled wider than he had all day as he let pride fill his voice, praising his daughter's little masterpiece.

"Well now, that's quite a painting! My daughter is a little artist, isn't she?"

"Yup yup!" The toddler grinned widely, bopping up and down on her father's lap in excitement. "I'm gonna be a famous artist someday, and then a movie star, and then an actress, and then-"

"Woah now, slow down there!" Hizaku lifted his daughter up, looking at her at eye level now. "If you do all those things, who's going to be my little princess?"

"I will. I'll do all those things and still be your princess daddy!" Hiyori smiled widely and hugged him tightly, too young to see the smile on her father's face for what it really was: a smile of great pain, as if the one wearing it wanted to do anything but smile. He could barely stand to smile, even for her, when he saw that green bird on her forehead…

"That's… that's right. Now, go and play with the other Branch children. Daddy has some work to do before dinner tonight."

As the little girl ran gleefully out the door, Hizaku followed to the doorway, watching Hiyori sprint down the hall. She brought a smile to his face, before that expression gave way to a trembling grimace. His fists clenched, and he could feel his eyes close to burning with unshed tears…

"She's quite lively Hizaku-san, isn't she? A wonderful little handful." Hizaku almost jumped out of his skin in surprise. But as he turned, his fright gave way to relief as he saw it was Hinata-sama standing beside his door. "I arrived here as she was showing her picture off. I've looked at her drawings once or twice, and she's quite the lively drawer. She'd make a wonderful artist." Hizaku smiled, bowing to the young woman.

"Hinata-sama, you honor us of the Branch Family with your presence-"

"Hizaku-san, what did I tell you?" She grinned, waggling her finger as if scolding a little child. "I don't prefer you or anyone of the Branch Family using that title… I think of you as my equal, and expect to be treated as such."

"I know Hinata-sama… but I can never be sure if your father is watching." Before he could continue, the clan heiress politely brushed past, entering his office to take a seat upon his desk. Hizaku shook his head, though his mouth couldn't help but upturn; Hinata-sama was always an odd combination of politely formal and informal friendliness. And her smile… no Main Family member ever gave the Branch such a kind smile.

"Anyway, she really is a handful, I can tell just from watching." Hinata's eyes seemed to suddenly dim a little, her voice shifting to a more somber, respectful mood. "You've done so well since Maya's passing… I'm sure she couldn't be prouder of how you raise the wonderful daughter you two had."

"…You honor me with that kind remark Hinata-sama. And though you don't have children of your own, I think few other people like you are kind enough to judge such a thing regardless. Still, I… when you have children of your own someday… Kami, it's an experience." Hizaku stumbled, distracted in thought, into one of several chairs in the room, hands gripping his knees tightly as he stared into the floor. "Your world suddenly revolves around them and nothing else. I try so hard to make her happy, like I know Maya would want. Every time I hear her bright voice, it lifts my spirits so… and yet every time I hear it, I can only think of how much I have failed her in my true duty as a father."

"Hizaku-san, we've spoken about this several times-"

"And it hasn't changed!" His head snapped up to meet her eyes, his own filled with an almost burning anger and hatred; but even one who had no knowledge of the topic of their conversation could see that the rage was not at Hinata, but himself. "She's never asked about the seal on her head since the day she received it, but when? When, Hinata-sama? A year from now? Two? Ten? When will I have to sit my daughter down, look her in the eye, and tell her that her dreams are meaningless? That someone of her own blood will kill her without any real reason if they wish? That her fate is bound in every way, since birth, and that choosing her love one day is the only freedom she'll ever possess? When will she look at me for what I truly am; a coward?" Hinata slowly made her way to his side, gently gripping his shoulder in attempt to provide some source of comfort as Hizaku sobbed softly into his hands.

"You've cared for her since the moment of her birth. Put her life ever above your own. We both know that it's only because my… _father_ would kill you for going against him that you keep silent. You can't leave her without a mother **or** a father Hizaku-san. Someone needs to be there, to care for her, and provide for her, to give Hiyori hopes and dreams-"

"All of which aren't hers to decide! She is a **slave**, Hinata-sama, and the simple truth is you are the only Main family member to see us as otherwise. The true duty of a father is open their children's future, to give them every chance to pick and choose their own destiny… I fail in that regard every day I sit here and do nothing. I am stuck with two terrible choices I know I can never pick, which is the only reason I keep filling her head with lies- I can either attempt to help her, which will bring about my death, leaving her alone in this world… or simply crush her hopes and dreams with the truth now, and give them a mercy killing-"

The room suddenly quieted with a resounding thwacking sound, Hizaku's head turned to the side by the now outstretched palm of Hinata. He had never thought the girl had any drive for such an action, kind as she was. She glared at him with a cold, but sadly understanding fury.

"Forgive me, Hizaku-san… but as long as she believes in the bright future you keep 'lying' about, I refuse to let you do that." Her eyes then bulged, their clan's bloodline activating as she swept the surrounding area to ensure no one was watching them, or within hearing distance… she would have used her Kyomugan as well, but time was short. "Now… what if I told you I could give her a future… and not just Hiyori, but the entire Branch family?"

"We'd be in your debt… if ever there was a way to actually remove this seal. Forgive my boldness, Hinata-sama, but I must insist you take my personal woes seriously-"

"I am." She leaned in, lips whispering almost inaudibly into his ear, though he caught every word- "The Chunin Exams take place in eight days. Four days from now, you will ensure you give yourself a patrol duty within Konoha's lower districts… Hiashi won't notice, or care, that someone of your 'stature' would do such a thing. Proceed 15 miles due west from the village gate, then 4 south, and then five east… I'll meet you there. Now, get back to your work… and please, try to smile a little. It is really looking like a lovely morning." She gripped his shoulder once more, and then walked past him to the door to his office. By the time his mind processed the entirety of that order, she was almost out the door. He rose from his chair, almost knocking it back in haste as he turned to her.

"W-Wait! What are you talking about? What will you give us?" Hinata turned back, her face once again set in the warm, caring smile that every single Branch member knew her for.

"A future, Hizaku-san… I'm going to give you all a future."

((Page Break))

Tenzo frowned, watching as the Hokage performed multiple sealing jutsu on his office, the kind to ensure no outside watchers or listeners could eavesdrop. It wasn't too surprising to see Sarutobi doing so with an ANBU captain. What Tenzo found odd was how the old man kept applying them, double checking, and then applying **more**. True, he had just brought to the Hokage's attention his report on the mysterious incidences in the village boundaries, but to use this much security-

"First of all Tenzo, I ask for your forgiveness." The suddenness of the request, added with the request itself, kept Tenzo from being able to respond with anything besides a slightly dropped jaw. Sarutobi sat back at his desk before interlocking his fingers and continuing. "What you are about to hear is first of all an S-class Secret, borderline SS-class… I haven't had to use security this tight since the sealing of the Kyuubi. The truth is, I have known about these incidences… and have withheld information from you about them. I had to see if you too were sensing them, before I could feel secure in revealing this information to you." Tenzo frowned once more at that, his arms crossing lightly across his chest.

"With all due respect Hokage-sama… as captain of the ANBU, security of this village is one of my highest priorities. You yourself told me when I started that your trust was something I had earned over a long time. That I had to be open with you in return. I have given you nothing but my trust. Though you must have good reasons, I admit to feeling quite insulted in this matter-"

"Is that so? Well forgive my bluntness, but I'm afraid I can't really give a damn." Tenzo's head almost snapped back in surprise. Sarutobi's eyes were suddenly burned with intense severity. Despite the older man's gaze, Tenzo was reminded why so many feared the aged Hokage. "You don't understand, you **can't** understand. You know nothing of how serious this situation is Tenzo, and whether or not you approve of my silence on this matter, you _will_ accept it and move on. If not, I'll find another man to replace you who can keep his resentment to himself!" The Hokage's glare remained for another moment before he sunk back into his chair. The shocked Tenzo suddenly saw how tired the old man was; not only in age, but in how he suddenly seemed physically tired, every bag under his eyes and crevice in his skin suddenly magnified.

"Forgive me Tenzo, I meant that with much less anger than I gave you. The physical training I've put myself through in these last few years has been difficult, despite how I have reclaimed much of my old strength… I really am getting too old for this."

"I… Hokage-sama, what is going on that you haven't spoken to me about?"

"Since Naruto's status as the Container of the Nine-tailed Fox is important, I'm sure you've read all ANBU files on him… including the night that a small group of men, including a Jonin shinobi, started chasing Naruto down the streets of this village."

"We still haven't found those men." Tenzo's brown furrowed in remembrance. "Captain Hiruhan said that it took a bit of work keeping anyone from connecting Naruto with their disappearance."

"Indeed. And I suppose Hiruhan told you about how after the incident, for the next few years until your promotion, he would randomly sense odd… disturbances in our forests, only to find nothing but varying craters and sparring marks? That is what I allowed him to reveal to his successor… tell me Tenzo, what has the Barrier Team reported since you took over the ANBU?"

"Th- The Barrier team?" Tenzo tried to think back before answering, not entirely following the change of subject. "Nothing… one or two intrusions into the village, but we caught those men accordingly, before they were noticed. They haven't reported anything else-"

"Because that information was classified for a while. Even above your level" Sarutobi stood, moving to the row of pictures of former Hokage, including his own. His eyes bore into them, seemingly asking for the strength to explain the information to come. "It was two years since the first strange incident before Captain Hiruhan reported them to me. Meanwhile, the village's Barrier Team started to notice something… strange. They sensed no foreign chakra, but… something else. Something that wasn't chakra, but apparently showed up extremely faintly on a Barrier designed to detect only chakra- an entirely different energy signature, appearing randomly in different spots and ripples on the barrier."

"I… well, that isn't wholly impossible Hokage-sama. There are things in this world even we ninja haven't seen-"

"There is more. The barrier itself wasn't actually being penetrated. As you know, it can sense chakra inside the barrier itself, even though the general location appears in longitude and latitude on the barrier. A week before Captain Hiruhan reported to me, the Barrier Team finally brought their experiences with the barrier incidents to my attention. They had kept it from me for a while, trying to discover the problem with the jutsu, until they finally accepted that there was no problem- only something they had not planned for. They had an exact account of the times, locations, and dates these incidents took place. When Hiruhan brought his reports to me, I noticed it immediately."

"What Hokage-sama?" Sarutobi turned to Tenzo, frowning gravely.

"That every single one of these incidents, on both reports, had the exact same timing and location. Additionally, Hiruhan reported that over the years, whenever he sensed these incidents, the feelings got stronger. The Barrier team also reported the same of the appearances of foreign energy ripples on the barrier."

"So then, as they got stronger, it must have been easier to start tracking them. So why haven't we tracked the source down yet?"

"For the very reason I have placed so much security on this office Tenzo. Indeed, the ripples on the Barrier that our Team sensed did grow stronger, even after these reports came to my attention… but as we watched them closer, they started to spread outward in areas on the barrier as well. The ripples grew stronger, and wider, and appeared much more frequently in a steady progression over time… until they now constantly cover the entire barrier, so that it can sense nothing else. Whatever causes these disturbances, it hasn't left, and has only gotten stronger." By now Sarutobi had crossed over to Tenzo and had gripped his shoulders tightly, his face etched with the gravest of concern. "Do you understand now Tenzo? Why the last few years, I have started training myself again for combat? Why our patrols keep increasing, and why the ANBU take longer shifts? It is because there is something we can't locate, right here in our village… and whatever strange power it has, it has left our Barrier Team absolutely blinded and useless for over a year."

Tenzo backed away, his mind whizzing in analysis of all of this. His calm had now truly been broken. It seemed a terrible joke, an impossibility that the last year or so of peace and security had been a blind illusion-

"But the intrusions! The Barrier Interception Division caught one, and the Detection Division alerted us to the other-"

"The Interception Division has not been within their own headquarters for the last year. I have them camped out in Fire Country territory in a circle around our village, along with any and all retired ANBU. All of them are sworn to secrecy upon penalty of death, all willing to be cut down by a younger, more skilled intruder if necessary. They report back to the Detection Division by headset every 10 minutes, and get relived for sleep every 12 hours by a second member. A less accurate method than the barrier, but effective. They were the ones who located the intruder your men caught, not the Barrier Team... those three have been quite helpless for some time."

"Do you understand now, this secrecy and its importance? The threat by an outside enemy notwithstanding, the panic and infighting this would cause could tear the village apart… thankfully, the goings on of Akatsuki and this mysterious 'Shadow' group hold the silver lining of giving a reason for the increased security over the last 2 years. Moreover, we can't even reveal all of this to the village, even if we were sure that they would take the news well, because the simple truth is we have no damn clue what we're dealing with here. An unknown power that has yet to reveal itself; that news does no one any good. The best lead we ever had… was that Naruto was being chased the first night a signal appeared on the barrier, and that the men attacking him were never found."

"Could it be the Kyuubi?" Tenzo paused, noting the frown starting to emerge on Sarutobi's face, "Forgive me Hokage-sama. You know I think highly of the boy, unlike others. But even he may be unaware of the doings of the creature sealed inside of him, once which we know precious little about-"

"Don't apologize Tenzo, I know your meaning. But the Kyuubi's chakra, while being powerful enough to do the same thing that this new energy does, appeared recognizable as chakra when it attacked all those years ago. Not to mention it was a different color. Whatever this is probably isn't as strong as the Kyuubi, but that it's strong enough to interfere with the entire barrier is troubling enough. But I was worried about that same possibility myself. I had a member of the Interception Division trail Naruto for a month during the time the barrier still worked… until we found that several incidents occurred while he was being watched, and we had to close that route. Back where we started, and we can't even tell where it's coming from." It was some time before Tenzo finally spoke again.

"In any case, with the increased activity detected by Shadow and Akatsuki, the number of Missing-nin they've brought in… and all but two of the nine Biju have been reported taken. Naruto makes us a very dangerous and now vulnerable target…"

"Indeed. Still, the more security we build up around the boy personally, the more force they'll use to take him. I trust Kakashi, and Team 7 will just have to be okay with D-rank missions for a while… unless their sensei plans to enter them into the exams, of course. I'm also planning to reduce the time between the reports coming in to five minutes. Beyond that, I'm afraid all we can do is hope the buildup of security and power we've had over two years will help… after that, it's in Kami's hands. You may go now, Tenzo... and thank you, for all your hard work. It is appreciated, whether I show it or not." As the younger man bowed and left, Sarutobi reached for the drawer containing his pipe… but then slammed the wooden desk closed again with a fury that almost shattered it.

"Damn it… it's all spinning out of control. What more could possibly happen?"

((Page Break))

"What more could possibly happen? It seems as if things are playing right into my hands with every passing second… wouldn't you say Ryoza?"

Ryoza nodded slowly. Rumors of former lieutenants to the Snake Sannin suggested he preferred slow, more controlled movements… it was said he reacted to motion, like some snakes, and would be annoyed by sudden and jerky movement. Like many of the rumors about the Sannin, it was ridiculous and most likely false, but Ryoza took no chances.

Orochimaru-sama killed people over 'annoyed'.

Ryoza continued to follow the Otokage as they toured the Sound village. Everywhere, the shinobi worked to prepare for the coming invasion. Weapons were sharpened, supplies were stored, and everywhere shinobi sparred against each other. This would be war, no mock battle or combat exercise, and every man there wished to survive the coming confrontation- victory would mean little to the fallen.

As they passed by the throngs of shinobi, the forces there turned to the two men in surprise. Some started to whisper with looks of admiration, some awe, and others fear. Ryoza wasn't surprised. The Sannin had that affect.

"It really surprises me how things have turned out. I was so deep in thought on how to isolate my old sensei, without the Sound Four to perform the Barrier technique… but now, Kimimaro is well. More than well, and as long as he is there, no one will be able to get within 50 yards of us if I wish it. I'll have my prey all to myself. And the moment Danzo prepares his treachery… well, Kabuto has that handled quite well."

"Yes… and if it isn't too bold my Lord, that brings up a question I have had for some time." Ryoza paused as Orochimaru turned around. Well, his luck had held out pretty well so far… "I understand your wishes for this battle, as well as your designs for Kimimaro and Kabuto. But, if they are doing your bidding, then who will take command of myself and your forces when the battle commences?" The Sannin seemed to stare into Ryoza rather than at him for a moment, before opening his mouth to speak. The lieutenant mentally sighed in relief- he was still breathing.

"Ah, yes. You need have no fear about that Ryoza. I have already selected the perfect man to command our forces into victory against the Leaf. In fact, he is here right now." Ryoza looked around, as if expecting to see some grand or odd-looking shinobi, but every man there was familiar, and he knew none of them were that strong. He turned back towards Orochimaru who was still grinning… still staring… at HIM. "Why so surprised Ryoza? I hope you didn't think being my third in command, second only to Kabuto, would come without responsibilities. After all," Orochimaru grinned widely at the special Curse Mark adorning Ryoza's neck. "When you get to level two, I've seen you become a match for Kabuto and Kakashi. I truly believe there is something special about you, considering what you went through to get this special mark. The reactions you mentioned having at the recent meeting was just the killing intent of 5 ANBU captains, but I'm sure you could have taken any of them one at a time… you really need to hold yourself in higher regard."

Ryoza resembled a stone statue for a moment, before dropping to one knee, head bowed and his right arm crossed over his chest in reverence.

"I… forgive me Orochimaru-sama. I do not question your judgment or reasoning… but I personally feel I am not worthy. I am honored to have been made your third in command for so long, but to lead your entire army into battle? There must be others more worthy, more intelligent, more-"

"Oh indeed, there have been men more intelligent Ryoza, but…" The snake summoner paused, seeming to reminisce before giving off a light chuckle. "Do you remember the man who held your rank before the last one? Lieutenant Hy De?"**(1)**

"Yes Orochimaru-sama. A most careful and planned strategist, who left nothing to chance. Although he was… well, proud, especially after you promoted him. I remember how he would speak very haughtily to Kabuto-sama and Kimimaro-sama. I was actually one of the squad leaders under him during the Siege of Arukarak."

"Ah, I remember that well. To think a town filled with so many mercenary shinobi could sustain itself so long without collapsing. I assigned him to take it for me, and recruit any survivors or special prospects. And it wasn't an easy task, was it Ryoza? Hy De only gave me an overall report of the situation when he returned, but I believe there was more, wasn't there?" The lieutenant stood and shook his head, recalling the battle nostalgically.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. We had intercepted information midway to the staging area that they knew of our coming and were preparing defenses, including searching for more mercenary forces to hire. But Commander Hy De was a very cautious and careful planner, very methodical. He wanted to await all of our people before making a move. I went to him, asking that we not wait, but that we should force an attack on the town immediately before they grew too well defended. But both he and his own men dismissed me, and threatened me with demotion. Well, by the time all of our men were in position it had come to pass- their numbers had grown, and they had somehow acquired a large stash of explosive notes- less powerful, but far more numerous than our own. Taking them by force suddenly seemed a harder task. Well, Lieutenant Hy De called together myself and the other squad leaders, saying that the town now seemed too well defended and that the best plan would simply be to starve them out, and prevent any major losses."

"Indeed? But the men I had sent undercover to watch over the operation have told me of this. Oh, don't look surprised Ryoza-kun, I like knowing how my left-hands fail, since I know only my right-hands, Kimimaro and Kabuto, will never fail me. Now, what happened right then?"

"B-but Orochimaru-sama… I mean, if you already know what happened, then I… I mean, I will of course accept whatever punishment you deem best for my actions, both there and-"

"Just continue Ryoza… I want to hear it from **your** mouth." Ryoza trembled slightly. If Orochimaru-sama knew what he had done, at the meeting AND on the battlefield… truly knew already… Kami, his luck was about to run its course. Still, Ryoza continued, unsure how the fear in his gut wasn't stilling his tongue.

"I… I made an outburst during that meeting. I spoke of how this delaying took the bluster from our forces, how it was a coward's tactic, and how they could survive weeks before any serious supply problems, while we sat there doing nothing. How if we simply kept the pressure up, our superior training, numbers and might would win. That we **had** to win, and only by committing ourselves to crushing them would success come."

"Indeed. My spies informed me that your speech was so passionate, so emboldened, that even Lieutenant Hy De was moved to agree, and gave you command of over half of the squads for the attack, while he handled the rest in reserve."

"Yes Orochimaru-sama. Well, you must know what happened - our attack began the very next day. For several hours I had your forces on the attack, relentlessly trying to pierce their defenses and slacken their outgoing attacks. And after those hours, even with Hy De attacking from another direction with the reserves, our attacks seemed to be making little headway."

"Correct Ryoza. And then the part of the story I found most interesting- Hy De ordered a retreat. He told his aides that they simply had to cut their losses and find a new way, before the army was decimated. And so he gave the signal to fall back-"

"My Lord!" For Ryoza had suddenly fallen to his knees, hands clutching them as his head bowed so low it seemed his neck would snap. "I have already told you, I will accept the punishment for my actions. I do not understand why you have waited so long to do so, but-" But Orochimaru only continued on with the story, as if Ryoza had never said a word.

"And yet… you chose not to. Disobeying direct orders, you ordered all squads to continue the attack, despite their very loud protest. And then you made for the front of your own men , and personally led the charge. You were leader of all the squads, a man of important rank, yet you threw yourself suddenly into the most dangerous position. My spies tell me your men were suddenly filled with a vigor my forces have never known before. And then, shortly after, the reserves under Hy De joined your men, despite his orders… and soon afterwards the enemy's retaliation weakened, and then broke, and you routed them completely."

"I… yes, Orochimaru-sama. Afterwards, despite a victory in which few actual losses were suffered, you… _reprimanded_ Lieutenant Hy De."

"Reprimanded? Ryoza, you're a bit too flattering in your speech sometimes…" The Sannin chuckled, staring into the distance as if recalling the memory with the most vivid of details. "Reprimand is a light word indeed, when one's summons 5 large snakes to latch onto a man and literally rip his limbs and head from his torso. And yet, for all that work, the men lost and time spent on Arukarak, I never expected to find such a treasure in that battle… you, Ryoza, were that treasure."

Ryoza kept his head bowed. Partly from respect to the Sannin, but mostly out of complete confusion as to the Otokage's words. He had no idea where this was going…

"Ryoza… Lieutenant Hy De was, as you admitted, a more intelligent man then yourself. His tactical skills earned him his promotion as my left hand, but he cared more for that career than victory. Hy De was so careful because of fear, not patience. He saw trouble in every flaw, defeat in every problem and setback. He wanted to absolutely sure of winning, so sure nothing could go wrong, that even the slightest changes made him pause. It wasted time and resources, something I truly disapproved of, and only a lack of a better candidate let him keep that position so long. His decision to retreat was his own fear of failure and what it might mean to his position. But you, Ryoza. That battle turned you from puppet to pawn, from a pawn to a your lack of tactical experience and skill when compared to Hy De, you understood how important it was to take the initiative. That once battle is entered one must commit to their plan, and simply change it if the situation deviates. Your confidence and hyper-aggression infected the men, even those not under your command- they forgot hesitation, forgot career, forgot failure, and followed you into victory. I don't think you yourself knew that you had grasped the situation more than Lieutenant Hy De ever could…"

Ryoza slowly rose back to his feet, his face the very picture of awe, yet with humility at the same time.

"I… my lord, thank you. I still believe he was a better tactician than me-"

"Of course he was. I commend your ability to keep a cool head and control once a battle starts. But I need you to always continue to improve your abilities. You're good, very good- but I want better. Still, there is something else that helped me to choose you as my third in command… come with me, Ryoza." Ryoza obeyed, speaking not a word as he continued to follow the Sannin through the village, though he was sure that his body spoke of his nervousness. He could feel a slight, but cold sweat running down his spine and through his jet-black hair… he suddenly stopped behind Orochimaru again. They were in an area like the last, only larger and more populated with shinobi preparing for the coming war. Already the men he would someday be leading into battle were turning to them and whispering in awe and fear. Although the Sannin did have that effect on people…

"Ryoza, I have never had a squad leader, much less a lieutenant, who ever personally led all of their men into battle. They command, yes, they fight, yes. But you put yourself in the greatest danger, making yourself a possible casualty, and have continued to do so ever since. You've become not just a soldier… but a true warrior. It inspires them that a man who commands them is willing to endure as much danger as they must, if not more."

"I- well, yes my lord, but-"

"More than that, you continue to take your quarters and your meals with them, something that hasn't changed since the first day you joined my shinobi corps. You know most of these men by name, and with some you even know where and when they were scarred or injured." The Sannin grinned as if amused by the thought, before turning serious once more. "I've personally watched them fight for you Ryoza, though they did not know it. In just the short month since you became my lieutenant, you've raised their combat effectiveness to an unheard of level for shinobi with such little experience, or so unused to working in tandem with others. They seem to hang on your every word, as if every failure was a terrible disappointment to a father, and every triumph the grandest victory imaginable... and then there's the little nickname that Arukarak earned you."

Somehow, despite the tenseness and seriousness of the situation, Ryoza still found the decency to blush.

"M-my Lord, that's just a… it's a silly thing really…" The Sannin only laughed at his uncomfortable lieutenant, as if he hadn't found such amusement in a long time.

"I remember that part of the report well. A few physically larger shinobi who had originally been squad leaders were very irked that you, a new squad leader, were to command half of the troops. Not to mention you have that… special Curse Seal. They thought you'd be as pompous and unbearable as Hy De, and they gave you much trouble right before the battle started. As I recall reading, there were quite the numbers of jokes related to your height compared to theirs… Of course, that battle changed their minds, didn't it? They saw your ferocity and tenacity, especially when you activated the second level of the Seal. And afterwards, they welcomed you as a brother, as one of them, and gave you a nickname… what is it again?" The Sannin grinned till it seemed his face would tear apart. Ryoza could only sigh, pinching his nose in utter frustration.

"… The 'Little Terror'…"

"Yes, Ryoza. But enough embarrassment… I need you to understand. My most recent lieutenant was just a trial one. I had planned to kill him all along, though maybe not so quickly. I had to watch you carefully to ensure that it wasn't a fluke, that you truly were the perfect man to lead my army."

"L-Lord Orochimaru-"

"Ryoza… look around at the men. Look carefully at their eyes."

Ryoza turned to look out at the men. Nothing had changed during their conversation since their arrival. The men still whispered and pointed undercurrents of fear and awe palpable in the air, almost thickly so. Again, it wasn't a surprise that the Snake Sannin inspired those two things-

And then Ryoza stopped, for at that moment he saw in their eyes what his Lord had already seen. The fear was real, and directed at the Otokage… but the awe, and the undertones of respect and admiration it carried-

Those eyes were looking at him. Ryoza could barely keep from gasping shock as he stared at the men of Otogakure. Never before had he noticed the way they looked at him. He'd never watched them as a commander or leader, but more like a friend or squad mate, as it had been before he was promoted. Only now did he see that their eyes showed him reverence. Even as Orochimaru gripped his shoulder, Ryoza could only watch his men in stunned silence.

"You comprehend it now, don't you Ryoza? Any of these men can fight for money, or women. For the thought of power or the freedom to give in to darker desires… but give them a situation that seems desperate, or give them a chance to surrender, and they would turn on their leader without a thought. They have no attachment to them, no true loyalty, not even to me in a sense. But you… in you, they see a leader who is willing to risk as much as they are, who would give his life for them. A man who has no fear, no ambitions of glory that take priority above them… and it just happens to be true. In a way, they have come to feel a kind of love for you, if that is the word, and it will carry them to the grave in your name. The shinobi of Otogakure fight in the name of my desires, but they fight **for** you. You alone are able to inspire them in battle to something greater… that is what I need my lieutenant to do." The Sannin grinned and turned to leave, other parts of the plan already taking precedence in his mind.

"That is why I chose you as my left hand Ryoza, why I have given you this honor… because even in your most desperate moments, when defeat seems only a step away… my men will **still** give their lives for the 'Little Terror'."

((Page Break))

"…Alright, you may go." As the nameless Chunin took his leave, Baki let loose a sigh that had been growing since the youngster had approached him and his Genin team. The Chunin had been wearing a red sash along his shoulders, meaning the message he'd just handed over had come straight from the Kazekage. Ever since the recent meeting with Orochimaru, the Kazekage had chosen to hold up in his office the days since, planning out Suna's part in the coming invasion. He no longer even handed out missions or made decisions in public, but regulated everything through Jonin and Chunin. Still, it had been effective. Even now, just barely a week away, most of the village's shinobi were already prepared. Suna had brought together its military might together in preparation for a display unlike anything since the wars of old.

_We risk much, even though the reward is incredible. I wouldn't mind all of this, especially after what the Wind Daimyo has done to unintentionally weaken us… except this whole alliance is with one of the biggest traitors in the ninja world._ Despite that, Baki knew where he stood. He was a loyal ninja, and as long as the Kazekage's decisions were made with the intent to save their village, he'd follow them to the bitter end if need be.

Still, Baki wasn't that old. He hoped such an end wasn't coming for some time.

The Jonin skimmed through the message, then nodded and turned to his team. Temari and Kankuro were both sprawled out on different couches, proving the absolute boredom they felt about the situation. Neither one seemed to really take the surrounding events their father was planning seriously, but Baki knew otherwise. Both children were enjoying the last moments of secure rest they'd experience for a while. Gaara… well, Gaara didn't rest. Ever. It was one of the most curious things he'd ever seen. Watching Gaara as the boy stared out the window of the children's room, Baki remembered how he'd once envisioned doing a study of the Ichibi's affect on Gaara's metabolism and bodily functions, and writing a book on Jinchuriki. It had been long ago, when he'd first taken the team and scoffed at some of the more violent stories of Gaara's indiscriminate killings… and then he'd witnessed the boy murder two Chunin for taking too long to check their identification at the gate once. He quickly dropped the idea.

Now that Baki thought about it, he knew that the coming invasion would probably be less detrimental to his health by comparison.

"Alright, listen up. The Kazekage has ordered us to begin the trip to Konoha. Barring any impeding circumstances - and I trust you won't let any stop you - we'll arrive at Konoha in three days, just 5 days before the Chunin Exams. He reminds you to take note of any important targets, defenses, and the like. Konoha's buildup of security of the last few years has been greater than any of the other villages, so expect that once the battle actually begins, the Leaf will react quickly. You'll-"

"I don't see why father is worked up." They turned to Gaara, who was still looking out of the window. The red-head turned to them, speaking with dead-set clarity in his eyes… in more than one sense of the word. "We're going to kill them. There's going to be blood… and that's all that matters. Now let us go. I tire of waiting." The siblings nodded and stood up from their couches, though Kankuro did so with obvious reluctance.

"Right right, just let me take a piss. It'll be a long time before we stop to make camp, and-" The puppet-wielder cut off mid-sentence, more worried about the spikes of sand reaching out from Gaara's gourd than his full bladder. They, as well as the intent of murder Gaara was giving off, were threatening to take care of his little bathroom problem.

"You idiot… start moving, and if you stop to relieve yourself, I'll kill you." Gaara stayed still a moment longer, contemplating if it was worth the time to kill his brother, before letting his sand fall away from his sibling. Mother wanted blood, but this would have no substance… she deserved better. Gaara turned back to the window and leapt out, giving his team no choice but to follow.

Baki frowned and leapt out after Gaara. It wasn't the first time he regretted taking this team. True, he'd enjoyed helping Temari and Kankuro reach close to prodigy levels in their chosen arts. They'd make fine Jonin someday… but their brother gave leading the team a higher chance of death than most A-class missions. It was enough to drive a man to drink… but considering the danger a man too drunk to deal carefully with Gaara was in, it ironically kept Baki sober. Sober and bored. He couldn't remember the last time he'd really had much entertainment…

So, knowing Gaara wouldn't bother to look back to ensure they were following him, Baki let a smile split his face. He planned on enjoying the sight of Kankuro chakra-leaping across the deserts of Wind Country while holding in his full bladder, a pained expression on his face, as long as possible.

((Page Break))

The grounds of the Aburame clan were famous in Konoha not only for their wide variety of beautiful and deadly insects, but the wondrous flowers that attracted them there. The source of these plants was very fresh, potent water derived from a hot spring that ran under their estates. But while the water was used for gardening, it was more often than not used to fill a number of exquisite indoor baths the Aburame owned. Those outsiders who knew of them claimed the Aburame's calm, stoic nature was derived from such a source of relaxation and calm. True or not, the hot baths were indeed relaxing.

As Shino passed through the forests around Konoha, he knew he'd be taking advantage of his own bath as much as possible... especially considering the day's training.

(_Flashback_)

The mountainous and rocky areas around Konoha provided excellent training conditions. Kakashi visited at time to refine his accuracy and impact of the **Raikiri**. Lee and his father pushed themselves in all sort of grueling punishments, going up the rock, down it… through it. The list went on and on. This day however, saw a newer shinobi, who had started using the area recently.

_Again, Shino!_

The young Aburame's eyes tightened at the sound of Ozma's voice. Had his glasses been removed, his golden multifaceted eyes would look like they were about to pop out. From his seemingly basic ready stance, he suddenly spun completely around, his right hand coming around to deliver a shattering backhand to the massive rock wall before him. The area right in front of him shattered, even as he immediately snapped off a hard right and left to the same area. Shattered chunks of rock flew around him as his right foot snapped into a devastating sidekick that made the former impact crater cave in. Shino then stepped into the rock, crushing his left elbow brutally against the stone before spinning into another hard right…before finally ending the devastating barrage with a brutal head-smash, ramming his entire forehead into the rock wall. Having finished, he stood back, completely unfazed by the impacts with the rock wall, allowing himself a moment to admire the results of Ozma's brutal training.

"Astounding Ozma-sensei. The simplicity of these Biron maneuvers belies an incredible magnitude and force. Still, you have my appreciation. Without your power hardening and amplifying my body, such an exercise would have crippled me, even at my old strength."

_Well, you HAVE been doing this for two hours now… still, you've come so far in only a few days. Lee's father would shave off those massive brows of his for the strength you now have, and you're speed isn't too bad either. I was worried about whether or not my power would affect your durability in a way that works for Biron style, but it was a complete success. You weren't even injured at all!_

Shino allowed himself one of his rare moments of emotion (by his clan's standards anyway) as his eyebrow rose.

"… The acknowledgement of your hesitation would have been prudent before you ordered me to attempt to drive those kunai into my abdomen."

_Um… well, none of them even nicked you, did they? And the second one even snapped in half. The point is you're essentially blade proof, especially as you come to handle even more of my power. Though I wouldn't test it out too much against Akatsuki. Some of those guys sound incredibly powerful, and your new durability isn't invulnerability._

"Agreed. Now, I believe that you established that we'd be using your power in an actual electrical form today? I would greatly wish to start integrating it into my fighting."

_Huh? Oh, that's the easy part. All the training before this has been for ensuring that your body was capable of handling my power. Now that you've had it running through you in a pure form, enhancing your muscles, skin, bones, and everything else, it's time to use it as actual electricity. After that you'll just spend as much time before the exams as possible training on the rock, getting used to using more and more electricity at once._

"Alright. I assume you have no hesitation on this exercise?"

_Heh, be careful Shino. I might have to assume that under that controlled, stoic Aburame exterior, you have a sense of humor… dry as it is. In any case, we'll start off with __**Thunder Punch**__… it's as simple as it sounds, a solid right punch where I'll release the electricity into the impact along with your own force. Just concentrate on your target, feel my power like I taught you… and __**will**__ it to destroy what you touch. I'll handle the rest. We'll start at 100,000 volts and 1,000 amps, and work our way up. Not much to start with, but we'll get serious tomorrow when you train with my power for real. Maybe we can even find a way to channel it from your fist without contact, like one of your shinobi lightning jutsu…_

Shino paused, slightly concerned. While they had never really had Ozma display very serious amounts of power, Shino knew it was just waiting to be unleashed, but only now was he realizing that there was going to be a lot of lightning coursing through his body. This could be very, very dangerous. Well, if this Gala person could do it… Shino rolled his shoulders, cocked his arm back, punched-

And as his fist made contact to the stone wall again, Shino **felt** the electricity coursing through him. Shino had been taught in the academy about the basics of elemental jutsu, how Lightning Style created electrical energy out of chakra and then safely forced it through the users system into the attack… but this was different. He felt the lightning rush through his body unheeded, like a river bearing some aquatic animal downstream. It flowed effortlessly into his right hand, guided by not only Ozma's will but his own. It coursed through Ozma, making the Ra-Seru crackle momentarily with visible lightning before it reached his clenched fist-

The rock before him burst apart once more, but this time the debris exploded out with an increased force, pieces of the stone smoking and charred as they hurtled past him. The new crater in the wall was a charcoal black, as if someone had set a bomb against the rock.

Upon later reminiscence, Shino would come to realize the whole thing, from his fist touching the rock to the lightning exploding from his hand, took less than a second.

_Haha, yes! That was excellent Shino. We'll go through a few more advanced maneuvers later, but you basically have Biron style down. You're fortunate for the skill and strength the shinobi life has given you. Many true Biron disciples spend years, sometimes decades reaching where you are now, and they didn't have the lightning…_

Shino nodded, and then leaned one hand against the rock, finally taking note of his sudden exhaustion, of the sweat pouring from him like rain.

"It seems… the long training of the day… has caught up with me. The notion to retire would be a prudent one."

_I suppose. Hopefully, by the time the exams roll around you'll be able to channel enough lightning to even destroy these Akatsuki people with ease._

"Indeed. Still, their combat capabilities, if they are anything like Itachi's Nobody, are quite extensive. I suppose we might again consider the possibility of using my body as a medium so I can tap into your full power-" Before Shino could continue, he suddenly felt Ozma warm, heating up in an almost 'angry' manner, before a shock of electricity ran through him. Nothing lethal, but it was enough to make Shino wince in pain.

… _Don't even JOKE about that Shino. I had hoped you'd take my word for it when I joked before, but I will be deadly serious now. Trying such a thing WILL kill you. I am training you to tap into much of my power, but there is a limit beyond even your bodies' reach. Once you tap into my full power, the absolute core, it can't be stopped, and the process would wear out your physical body. Without the Seru-Kai to take the main stress of summoning my true power into being, you WOULD die. If you even try to, I'll cut you off from my power completely… even in battle. Possible death is preferable to certain death, for you are worthless to your friends dead. I'm not letting you be a martyr on my watch._

Shino frowned, then nodded solemnly and started the long run back to the village.

"We can only hope it never comes to that…" Shino suddenly chuckled at his next thought, the rare sound escaping from an equally rare smile on his lips. "Biron willing."

_**Ha. It only took me a few days to get him to stop saying Kami… a most willing convert. Gala would be proud.**_

(_Flashback End_)

As Shino kept going, he went over the conversation again. Truthfully, dying wasn't in his overall plan, but this was Akatsuki… a group of ninja who exceeded most expectations of a strong shinobi. If he didn't have as much power at his disposal as possible, he might die anyway. And in his mind, the best way to die for his friends - Biron forbid - would be to take one or more of them with him.

'_Biron willing, Biron forbid'. When did I become a religious person? When did I actually begin to perceive the possibility of a celestial being listening to me? True, the mindset of a God empowering my body seems to somehow inherently enhance my abilities and training progression… well, I suppose that every human being needs something to strive for besides a purpose. Naruto and Hinata have each other, and if what Naruto informed me during my training was true, it seems this Haku girl is a good drive for Lee… Come to think of it, I am the only original associate of 'Shadow' that is still without the close interactions of a female counterpart... Still, it's a pointless thing to ponder on. I can imagine few people to be as understanding as Naruto about my eyes... especially when most of my own clan is made nervous by them._

Shino's sad thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the distant, dulled thud of what sounded like metal piercing into wood. Noting he was near training ground 18, he took off for it, curiosity temporarily overriding the need to soak his aching… everything.

Coming to rest in the upper branches of a small tree, Shino gently sat onto the thick branch to observe the scene below him. A young girl, most likely a year or two his senior, was hurling bladed weapons at a large target dummy with surprising accuracy. She seemed to never stop, and with every throw she would reach back into a large pile of assorted weapons, next to two very long scrolls, and chuck the next one at the target. The dummy was littered with kunai, shuriken, tanto, a few of what appeared to be farmer's scythes, kitchen knives… the list went on and on. As the last kunai entered the now pin-cushioned dummy, the girl grinned and pulled her hands to the side- it was then that Shino noticed the extremely thin, fine wires running from her hands to the myriad weapons. They tore from the dummy in an eviscerating manner Shino was sure would have been very painful on a live target. As they flung back toward their wielder, the girl suddenly gripped the wires tighter and snapped them forward in a quick motion. The blades seemed to slow and snap up in midair for a moment, their momentum halted… before the force of her whip flung them back at the dummy. The blades now tore the badly damaged target apart, along with the thick wooden post it hung on.

Down on the field, Tenten let herself have a wide grin. Perfect as always, and even a few seconds faster to boot. She didn't have Lee and his father's insane strength or stamina, or Neji's bloodline, but her own specialty made her a keen, devastating blade. The upcoming Chunin exams would be a cinch for her team. Gai had nearly pounded them into submission the last few weeks, even before telling them about the exams, but it was worth it. She'd show everyone exactly the kind of damage she could do… that a **kunoichi** could do.

It was one of the strange, unjust twists of the world Tenten figured she'd never wrap her head around. More boys than girls wanted to go to the academy, even though being part of the ninja 'population' of Konoha was an honor-not to mention the nice pay and kickbacks. Those that did, from what she'd seen of her own class, were an unfortunate lending to the image of the 'weaker' sex. And then there were the fewer, but truly hardcore kunoichi like her, who could rise to Jonin, who set an example for the strength of the female gender. Indeed, Tenten's idol Tsunade was the perfect example of how high a kunoichi could ascend.

So what in Kami's name made almost any boy she'd ever known so stupid, so pig-headed, that they had the balls to question her being a ninja- just because she was a girl? It seemed the only exception to what seemed a ridiculous reality among her peers were Lee, Neji, and… oh, what was his name? A blonde kid who had entered their class early, but she couldn't remember his name. Lee at least seemed to hold full respect towards her, and really was a good friend and a nice guy… though some days, he and his father could grind her nerves like a serrated wakazashi. Neji… Neji didn't seem to hold anything against her. He just had his head so far up his ass that it was unbearable working with him sometimes.

Still, none of it mattered. When she made Chunin soon, she'd show every boy who'd ever questioned her based on her gender. She'd really twist it in painfully too; like taking a kunai and shoving it right up their-

"An impressive display." Tenten's eyes widened in surprise, spinning around to face the person who had intruded on her private training time. On reflex, her right hand whipped in the direction the voice had come from, sending dozens of sharp weapons that way.

It was only when she finished spinning that she realized… it was just a boy. Or rather, a boy with a Leaf Hiate around his neck! She had just attacked a fellow ninja, a move that basically amounted to career suicide, accident or not! Tenten whipped her hands back, but the boy was too close, the momentum on the wires wouldn't reach in time. They closed in on the youth-

Tenten didn't see when he had taken out a kunai in each hand. It may have been the large sleeves of his gray jacket had hidden the motion, though Tenten just assumed the boy was fast. The second seemed more likely, for suddenly the boy's arms went into an absolute flurry of slashing motions, swiping each weapon aside. Steel rang against steel as he either batted the blades away, or deftly avoided them with expert speed and fluidity, rivaling the movements of Gai-sensei and his son when she used them as 'mobile targets'. Soon, the entire hands worth of sharp objects lay on the ground. The mystery boy slid the kunai back into a pouch, apparently unfazed by the accidental assault.

_I've watched practicing Chunin move slower than that. I've never seen this guy before in classes, or anywhere in working as a shinobi… but he can't be a fresh Genin, no academy student moves like that. So who the Hell is he?_

"Still, I must acknowledge to some confusion. Your methodology of training surprises me in view of the fact that-"

"I get it." Tenten's curiosity vanished almost the very moment he'd gotten that far, insomuch that she felt none of the usual guilt she had over interrupting others. She'd heard the same beginning like this countless times from boys her age. The chauvinistic crap coming from his mouth would NOT spoil her good day. The idiot actually thought he could hide it under that fancy vocabulary- how much of a cliché 'girl' did he take her for? "Let me guess the end of that sentence. 'You're a girl', right? Well listen you pig, take that sexist pile of crap and shove it… or I'll take this tanto and do some 'shoving'." Her left pinky twitched, bringing one of the tanto still behind her forward. Tenten flexed her fingers in a special manner, expertly slipping them from the multitude of wires as she caught the short blade and brandished it offensively. A small smirk came to her mouth as she caught his head tilting slightly to the side-

And then he started speaking again.

"In view of the fact that your target is stationary. I would imagine that using one hand for your armaments while the other moves the target would be more sufficient. And forgive me if my manner indicated it at all, but I admit to more confusion over why you assumed a bigoted comment on my part."

Tenten wondered if her jaw was unhinging right now. That was the last thing she had expected from this boy; not only had he talked to her in a civil manner, but a manner as an **equal**… and to top it off, he'd come up with a way of solving the very problem of a mobile target that didn't risk anyone's well-being… the very reason she hadn't been practicing **Twin Rising Dragon**. Lee and Gai might have been craz-er, bold enough to try that, but she erred to the side of caution, and wisely in her opinion. Still, those thoughts ended as she realized the boy was still there… waiting for an answer. She blushed lightly from the complete embarrassment of her unjustified rebuke.

"I- w-well, most guys around our age give me shit over being a kunoichi. Sexist little shits… I know only a few guys on one hand who don't and I guess you're now on that list. But don't think I'm too sorry over that. Considering what most guys think of Kunoichi, you shouldn't be surprised I was suspicious and assuming." To her surprise, the boy only cocked his head to the other side now, as if in thought.

"… Your reasoning is that since most boys are of a chauvinistic opinion of your sex, and so few aren't, that it stands that you're right to assume almost immediately that a boy will be sexist towards your person if their comments veer towards your ninja abilities, and must be a gender bigot and a 'pig'?"

"Well-"

"And yet, most of the female population does not attend the shinobi academy. But that is their choice- there are a good amount of high-ranking kunoichi to dispel and rumors of sexism within our ranks, which any serious ninja know do not exist. So when only a small amount attend, and with a recorded dropout or failure rate of 85 percent among female students at the academy… despite all that, and you feel it's unfair for a male youth, innocent to the true intricacies of gender, to think lesser of kunoichi, yet fair for a female to assume misogyny of a male?"

"You seem to harbor an oddly ironic double-standard…"

Tenten was sure if she could see herself from the outside, her jaw had most likely fallen off at this point. This guy made her out to be a bigot- the LAST thing she'd ever thought she'd be- and he was right. Whether or not she was right about the village's male youth, she'd responded to them in just the exact manner she'd come to resent from them… she now wondered how many times she'd interrupted a compliment she thought might have been an insult to her sex.

A part of her wanted to somehow save face before this darkly clad stranger… but Tenten's parents had done many good things in their lives, one of the most important being to raise her to have a sense of humility and common sense. Her head dropped- being a reasonable person could really suck sometimes.

"… Ok. You're right on that one. Guess I'm not exactly Miss Tolerant of the year…" As she looked back at him, Tenten noticed the slightly taller boy's thick, collared coat looked familiar, like she'd- that was it. He was an Aburame. She's passed by their clan compound once and noticed that most of the males in the clan dressed that way. It was definitely effective at hiding their more subtle movements… and those glasses, just like the boy's, made reading their eyes impossible. "You're an Aburame, right? I don't remember seeing you before at the Hokage's tower, and I graduated last year. I think I'd have at least heard about someone who was as skilled as what you just showed."

"Your compliment is graciously accepted, and you are correct about my family. My name is Shino Aburame," Shino pushed his glasses up a tad, glad the collar hid his small grin- he could admit to himself a small amount of pleasure at how he was inevitably about to surprise the older girl. "But I only graduated this year. My status has not been upgraded from Genin, not to the best of my knowledge."

_A Genin? Again, if a Genin was this good just in the academy, someone would have been talking about it before… was he hiding it? But why?_

Tenten held back the frown threatening to show on her face, before smiling at the boy. She liked challenging herself, and figuring this boy out would definitely be a new one.

"Tenten Hitsagaya. So, would you mind taking off those glasses for a moment?" She smiled, not noticing how his posture stiffened slightly. "Kind of hard to get friendly with someone when you can't see their eyes."

"That is true. However, I'm afraid they shall be remaining exactly where they are." She blinked. The way he had stated that somehow suggested the discussion was now over… there was an almost frosty edge to it, like he was angry. Were all the Aburame that attached to their glasses?

"Oh come on, don't be so cold." She smirked, and then made a sudden rush forward, reaching for the glasses, but he leapt back. Tenten only grinned and went on the offensive again; if nothing else, his speed from before would be a fun challenge. She started to throw a bit of taijutsu his way, but found that he dodged it all with incredible ease. Even as she started to speed up, taking the spar more and more seriously, he seemed to remain solely on the defensive. But as it went further, she noticed something else- his posture was stiffening more and more, out of what she recognized as the start of anger… which surprised her.

"Hey now, are you getting angry. Sorry if you are, but I thought your clan was renowned for emotional control?" The way his hands twitched ever so slightly gave Tenten a satisfied smirk- for a reason she wasn't sure of, she'd gotten to him. Distracted him just a tic, but that was all she needed. She made to thrust her right fist forward, and he pressed the flat of his palm against her wrist to push the attack aside-

There. Her fist suddenly unclenched before gripping his wrist tightly, and using the momentum of the thrust- she barely contained her surprise, the boy was definitely strong- swung around him as if gripping a pole. She started around him, heading towards the other side where she could reach out and grab the glasses-

But then he whipped the arm back, dragging her away. As she came back around, mentally gulping at how far he was going to be flinging her if the strength she felt in the tug was any indication, her elbow inadvertently rammed his ear… and the glasses along with it. The black shades flew off, one arm of them already bent. They fell on a small kitchen cleaver, one of the weapons still strewn about, and only then did Tenten realize exactly how shark she kept her blades; the bridge of the glasses was sliced cleanly in half, two neat sections of the glasses on the ground.

And then the force of his swing snapped her back to reality as she was sent hurtling towards a nearby tree. Thankfully her skill as a shinobi allowed her to roll and extended her legs midair, letting the tree take a lot of the momentum. Still, the force was such that it was all she could do just to force herself off of the tree and into a painful roll on the ground. As she came to a stop, Tenten could feel the spots where she'd be bruised later that night. How did a Genin have strength like that?

Unfortunately, such thoughts left Tenten as she suddenly found Shino's fist gripping her collar. He picked her up, before slamming her quite roughly into another tree. Tenten coughed, feeling his knuckles dig into her throat. She looked up at him, about to ask what the Hell Shino was thinking-

And then she saw them: his eyes. They were… beautiful. It was a word she usually only used for a subject proper for it, like weapons, and… well, that was it. But nothing else would fit them right now. She'd never seen such a shade of gold, like it had been purified many times over and then more so until it was without contamination. And the crisscrossing lines, segmenting the ocular orbs like that of an insect- but no, that was unfair. The pattern was admittedly insectoid, but she'd never seen a picture of an insect's eyes like these; they held such… life in them, not like the cold blankness that she contributed to an actual bug.

All of that was in the first second. Then Tenten noticed the very obvious anger etched not only into those beautiful eyes, but his entire face. She's seen annoyance on Neji's face where Lee was concerned, and mock anger on Gai's face when he was pushing them harder… but this seemed to be actual fury, laced with killer intent to boot. It took a second to regain her breath, but then she started struggling for it again as his knuckles kept digging into her throat.

Meanwhile, Ozma was desperately trying to reach his host through the haze of anger causing his actions.

_No Shino! This is just like what you told me happened when Naruto revealed he knew about your eyes. You can't lose control, especially with the new strength and power you possess. You don't just risk revealing yourself- you might actually kill her!_

But Shino could barely hear the sound advice over the blood boiling in head. He glared deep into her chocolate-brown eyes, letting anger etch lines in his visage and sink into his voice- something that was rare even when he let himself go emotionally among Shadow.

"There! You INSISTED on violating my personal space, attacked me, ignored me, so desperate to see my eyes for whatever unfathomable reason- well? Are you satisfied? Satisfied looking at the freak eyes you inquisitive-" The angry 'bitch' that wanted to finish the sentence died in his throat, for two reasons. The first was that Shino had simply never been very physically close to a female, or in fact taken the time to 'appreciate' the female form- minus Hinata, but she was truly a very good friend, and he was sure either she or Naruto would castrate him for doing so. Understandably, he experienced a foreign awkwardness being so close to her, and she was admittedly pretty to him, despite having no real former measure to compare to. The second reason was that he was able to read people's eyes- not as well as Hinata or Naruto, but still expertly- and she…

She wasn't revolted. She wasn't terrified, or disgusted. He could remember such a look from almost every day of his life, even though it had always been a very subtle look from behind his clan's trademark glasses. His father, though, had looked at Shino without the black shades once… the shame and disgrace and disappointment in those eyes had almost crushed Shino. From his own father of all people.

But this girl… Tenten wasn't looking like that. It made no sense, even to Shino's mind. Naruto, Lee, Hinata- they were special people. True, Raiga and Ranmaru had been as well, and from what Naruto had told him, Zabuza and Haku _would_ be, but normal people weren't special. Weren't open-minded. If this village knew what his clan knew, he'd never be able to walk any street, enter any building without some measure of disgust or fear. Normal people wouldn't understand, **couldn't** understand. Tenten was tricking him, or it was some kind of Genjutsu. This girl couldn't be special.

Could she?

Slowly, the grip on her collar loosened, his knuckles came away from her throat, and Tenten found that she was afforded a merciful breath. And another. Until her breathing returned to normal and she found that at least for the moment, Shino didn't look like he was going to crush her windpipe.

"… You're not scared. I am acquainted with fewer than 10 people who know about my eyes and **don't** shun me, when in contrast my own clan gazes upon my person with emotions ranging from shame, to disgust, to the look one gets when there is a bitter taste in one's mouth. Now, I will make two things quite lucid to you."

"First of all, tell anyone about my ocular condition, and I will make you suffer for it, something which is quite against my nature without the utmost reason."

"And second… I want to know why." Tenten frowned, struggling with an answer to that. Shino was acting quite contrary to the way he'd reacted to her own hypocritical accusation of him. Was he really making such a judgment call on her?

Then again, it actually made some sense. Tenten's grief was over a gender issue, and prevalent or not it was something that more people were open-minded about than not. But his eyes… she could see just about anyone having an adverse reaction to them. And if it was from his own clan, a clan of bug-wielders, then she couldn't help but see logic in his suspicion of her, the same logic he'd shown before. Tenten felt a brief stab of pity, realizing she was one of the few people who probably would look at his eyes and not be disgusted by their color and insectoid look…

How could she though - how could she be repulsed by such beautiful eyes?

Tenten reached up, gently gripping his looser fingers to pry them off her shirt. Shino's hands… they were strong. She was no weakling, but she could almost feel raw strength in them. He probably had almost killed her before. Slowly, she pried Shino's fingers away, dropping back onto her feet. She looked up at his eyed determinedly, and almost giggled at his eyebrows twitching in surprise. Unbeknownst to her, Shino was still a bit bewildered at why she hadn't tried to run.

"I may not understand from experience or anything, but I think I get why you don't exactly trust me right now. I mean, yeah, I don't see something like those every day. But… I like them. I know, it sounds really weird or whatever. I can guess how most people would think or react to seeing them. But to me, they just look… well, incredible. Beautiful…" She then smiled, the grin she was flashing at him a cheeky one. "And I never use that word except to describe weapons, so consider yourself honored, got it Shino?"

Shino gave the barest nod, thankful for the high color of his jacket hiding the modest red in his face. It figured: from Naruto, to Hinata, to Lee, and now this girl. He was supposed to be from a family with emotional control- why did he have to be the one that kept meeting people that got to him?

And yet…

Shino waited till the heat in his cheeks subsided, and then did something quite rare, something even those in Shadow had only seen once or twice- he unbuttoned the top of his coat, pulling it down some to let her see his face… and the small smile on it.

"Thank you. I… am not very good with words. Well, not simpler ones. I prefer using a more… well, extensive vocabulary. Something I get from my clan. But thank you. Truly Tenten Hitsagaya, thank you." Tenten blinked, and then rubbed her neck, a tiny bit of red in her cheeks now.

"Jeez, you make it sound like I did a lot more. Well, I should get back home; dad probably needs me to clean the forge out." With a flick of her wrist, the many weapons lying on the ground around them were reeled in, and quickly sealed away. She stood, giving him a small smile. "Well, I hope to see you around some time. It's definitely fun talking to you. You're really out of the ordinary… and I like that." She grinned wider, and then took off, leaving Shino behind. As she headed back to the village, she considered what she'd just done, inviting a boy to see her again… well, the guy seemed nice enough. Smart, very deep. And they really were beautiful eyes… maybe she'd found a real diamond for once, instead of the cheap zinc that comprised most guys.

Tenten shook her head and chuckled. Even when thinking about guys she thought in weapon terms. She loved her hobby too much.

Back in the clearing, Shino finally moved, reaching to re-button his coat, and then into a pocket for a spare pair of shades. Setting them on, he set off once again for home. However, he began thinking he wouldn't need as much time in the family hot baths. Suddenly, his body seemed to ache much less.

_**Haha, I never saw him so nervous… nervous for Shino anyway. Hope something comes of it Shino. If anyone deserves someone special like that, it's definitely you.**_

((Page Break))

Temari stirred slightly, nestling back into the tree branch she was perched on. The bark dug into her back, nothing like the smooth stone that made up the structures of Sunagakure. And there were probably Leaf shinobi that sat like that for days and felt fine… weirdoes.

Shaking the thought from her mind, she turned her gaze up and felt her thoughts sober immediately as she looked up at him… at Gaara, standing atop a much higher branch, staring at the moon.

Below them, Kankuro and Baki surrounded a small fire in the middle of a tiny clearing. They would reach the leaf in two days, and Baki had called for them to rest. No one had been happier than Kankuro; considering how torturous holding his piss in for 8 hours that first day had been, he now relished all the more every chance to rest peacefully. (To the slight dissatisfaction of her humor, her brother hadn't ended up wetting himself.) Even now he slept like a baby, having dropped asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. Baki followed soon after.

But Temari couldn't. She never could sleep well, not before her nightly ritual of finding a place where she could spend an hour watching Gaara. Partaking in even a moment of his never-ending insomnia… it was her small, guilty, pathetic form of atonement.

Temari couldn't blame herself, not originally. She'd been only 8 or 9 when he'd first started killing people, but even then it had been accidental. Most people feared him, tried to hurt him, and death followed. A simple formula. And it had scared her, that her little brother could do something like that, even in self-defense. So she had avoided him, treating Gaara like a leper. Who could blame her? Maybe someday he would calm down, and stop killing people, but for now she had to stay away from him, not matter how much he pleaded to her with his eyes.

But then even uncle Yashamaru, someone she'd looked up to and loved, who had seemed to love the three of them, had tried to kill Gaara. And then the pleading stares stopped, the killings increased, and suddenly Gaara began to truly seem like the monster they had treated him as. Kankuro had been fine with it- the less Gaara wanted to be near him, the less chance he'd end up a bloodstain in the sand. He'd given up on his little brother a long time ago anyway.

But Temari was different. A part of her had always thought that just maybe, behind that innocent smile or pleading stare, there really was just a monster as evil as the one sealed within him. It was a thought that greatly conflicted with her hope that she could have a safe, truly happy little brother. But as Gaara changed, Temari watched the little boy she knew die a tiny bit each day, becoming colder and colder. More and more, until Temari realized that whatever innocence Gaara once had was now gone, sacrificed by the hatred and fear shown to him by family and village. And worst of all was the fact that to Temari was painfully undeniable- she had helped to do it, to kill whatever of the innocent Gaara had once existed.

Temari finally turned away from watching the Ichibi-host, preparing to leap down from the branch and get some sleep before they reach the Leaf Village tomorrow. But not yet. There was still one more part to this nightly ritual where she forced herself to witness the terrifying result of her foolish, unjustified hatred and fear. Temari's teeth clenched tightly, as always so desperate not to let any but the quietest sob escape. Her hands gripped tightly into the bark of the thick branch as small drops fell between her legs to the forest floor far below.

Temari cried. She cried and cried. Cried for her lost little brother, whom she had helped to kill as sure as if she'd plunged a kunai into his heart…

((Page Break))

((Next day))

"Hokage-sama?" Kakashi slowly walked into the older man's office, his lone visible eye crinkled in concern. His team had returned the previous day, but after delivering his full report, Sarutobi had quietly paid and dismissed the team but requested their sensei to return the next day at noon. It was worrisome to Kakashi: NOT getting chewed out for taking his team into an unknown situation was a bit more gut-knotting than if he had gotten any sort of wrath over it.

At least his team hadn't been chewed out. Sasuke had simply taken his pay and left, Sakura following shortly after. Naruto had chatted for a very short time, which seemed to brighten the older man's face for a bit. Kakashi had especially enjoyed when Naruto mentioned going to meet up with a few friends including Hinata Hyuuga. He knew she was a bit quiet, but warmer compared to others from her clan and a good student from what Kurenai had mentioned during early Jonin Sensei meetings. Sarutobi had gotten in a quick comment about Naruto especially wanting to see her, giving both men a chuckle as the boy's cheeks seemed to tint red a bit before he left. They were both good kids, it'd be cute if they ever became a couple… But that was a fun thought for another time. Kakashi took his place at attention before the Hokage's desk. "You requested I come here sir." The Hokage shifted the pipe in his mouth, looking only at the report before him.

"… Kakashi. I've been giving a lot of thought to what happened in the course of your mission, and how to… react to it." Sarutobi chewed softly on his pipe, as if searching for the right words, and then continued. "On one hand your students showed a good measure of dedication to their mission, though from your account of the first 'meeting' with Zabuza, they also have a good measure of loyalty to each other. They are also all alive, unharmed, and no worse for the wear. The mission is a success, and on a less mission-oriented note you freed a good country from quite the tyrannical businessman. There is much for your team to be proud of." Kakashi's visible eyes twitched into its smile position for a moment, then returned to solemn respect as the Hokage continued, his face still unchanged.

"And then the other hand: you encountered two Chunin-level missing-nin, an indication that the mission was most likely above the Genin-level status we thought it to be. You then allowed your team to convince you to go against your better instincts- ones I know have been honed well by your extensive career- and continued on. Even after encountering a dangerous individual like Zabuza, you STILL continued with a mission that put your inexperienced team in danger. To top it all off, you then planned to engage this individual and his unknown partner with your team. And as if to put the icing on the cake, you somehow survive an encounter with an unknown, potentially dangerous, vigilante shinobi group." The Hokage finally looked up at the Jonin, his face still neutral. "Kakashi… this reads like a fairy-tale mixed in with a nightmare. What would you say to this, in my position?" Kakashi steadied himself to answer. The old man hadn't yelled or cursed or made any furious demand for an explanation- he dearly wished the Hokage had it would have made this easier.

"Hokage-sama. I understand how you feel, and I fully take responsibility for all of this. To be fair, their argument wasn't entirely unsound. A good amount of the missions C-rank and above have conditions that change - would you say we want a reputation for leaving a mission at the slightest alteration mid-way? Furthermore, it gave them a taste of what they will encounter if they choose to stay with this occupation. It might have been that those two had been alone, and we never would have encountered any danger afterwards. All in all, they reacted well under the admittedly unfair pressures the situation thrust upon them."

"And yet you still survived by luck. Kakashi… do remember that your team isn't YOUR TEAM. Naruto may be better than Obito was," Kakashi flinched at that, unhappy memories being brought back even as the Hokage continued. "But Sasuke is not close to Jonin, nor is Sakura another Rin. The social similarities that I admit to have seen so far do not mean their skills are the same. If your Genin had been in the same situation the Fourth once took you into, none of them would have come out alive."

"Now, the Chunin Exams are closing in rapidly. I'm preparing to ask some of the sensei if this year's teams are skilled enough to enter. It's rare to have so many clans, powerful bloodlines, or talented specialists in so many Genin teams. If enough are skilled enough to survive, we can make a good showing politically and businesswise, but losing potential shinobi over pride is something I won't allow. Now, I want an honest answer to this next question. Are the three of them ready? And if not, can you have them ready? Keep in mind that Sasuke's clan and reputation are not a factor here, no matter what anyone else says - if they aren't ready, I refuse to let my Genin participate in such a dangerous event. So, yes or no?"

Kakashi paused. It was true the event had a reputation no matter the village, though that was in part due to the different kinds of challenges, environments, and tests each one presented. The participants were allowed to kill, but all of them were gunning for Chunin- if any were above Chunin, they'd be promoted to allow more shinobi available for better missions, instead of actually making them go through with the exam. It was unlikely anyone capable of easily killing his team would be entered. Was he willing to risk that this would be the year an above-level participant or team was entered?

But they had survived the last mission. Besides, it was still their choice - and he knew Sasuke and Naruto would want to take the challenge head on. Sakura was the determining factor, but with about a week of solid training he could get her to a point where she could keep up- or she wouldn't, and the whole team would just have to wait six months.

"I know it isn't very long till the exam Hokage-sama. But please, give me this time to push them harder than anything we've done yet. I guarantee they'll be ready… and if not, they won't enter. I'll pull them out myself and deal with their reactions. But they have potential, and it would be a shame to not let them again gain more insight through this exam into the life they've chosen." The Sandaime nodded, mulling the argument over in his head before finally nodding.

"Very well. The meeting for nominations is tomorrow afternoon at five. If you are late, I will accept it as an automatic decision that they will not be participating; let that be a sign of how seriously I take this - partly with your tardiness, and partly concerning Naruto and Sasuke. I try to stay impartial with them both, but you and I both know that for better or worse, they aren't normal shinobi, and circumstances are different." The Jonin nodded, bowed, and was turning to leave when Sarutobi spoke again. "And Kakashi… how is Naruto doing? I know he was doing an average job in the academy, his stamina and chakra reserves aside, but what have you garnered about him?"

"Well…" Kakashi frowned, unsure how to proceed. Despite really being fair when dealing where Naruto was concerned, the short chat the previous day showed that the older man really cared about Naruto. "He has a very admirable work ethic. His skill has made some progression since the academy, though that in of itself seems to be average. More importantly, after a talk or two, I've found myself unable to… 'inspire' him. He indeed works at being a shinobi, takes it seriously, but has no dream or long-term goal to drive him forward. Where Sasuke's is a more self-destructive one I want to work at breaking, I can only help Naruto so much if he doesn't want to aspire for more."

"I see… a shame. Well, do what you can to help him grow, and maybe one day he'll find his purpose. He's a good soul, and might have had the potential for a Hokage… in any case, you're free to go Kakashi. I'll see you _on time_ tomorrow." The Jonin nodded and stood to leave. He hand was on the verge of opening the door- "One more thing Kakashi…" The Hokage's voice dropped to a low whisper. "This Shadow group, if it was indeed them that ambushed you… you didn't sense them at all?"

Kakashi shook his head, a bit chilled at the very memory of the incident from the bridge.

"No. One second I just felt a strike to my head, no warning at all, and then black. I couldn't sense them at all." Sarutobi nodded, sinking back into thought as the younger man left. This bunch, along with Akatsuki, had simply been like ghosts, impossible to catch, and every day they still went unchecked his shinobi were threatened. Not to mention all of the shinobi from the bingo book that were turned in ever since both groups started getting more active- the book was down to a mere 50 pages now. The two organizations were yet another problem piled onto an increasing plate.

Still, there had been some upsides. Jiraiya and Tsunade's return seemed to bring up the spirits of the village, especially the shinobi population. Jiraiya had even kept his… 'hobby' to a minimum, going over the village security and using toad summons to keep managing his information network from afar. Tsunade had begun to absolutely overhaul the hospital and ramp up the standards for the medical shinobi corp. They were all fine at their job to be sure, but for someone like Tsunade, they were still wet behind the ears. Sarutobi was glad for it though; there could be a time coming soon when they would need to be that skilled.

He took a small drag on his pipe, thoughts starting to turn a bit less sunny as he looked down at a piece of paper with a few words on it. The sheet was an odd color, but then again an orange sheet of paper was something no one used. It made the innocent, unhidden message on the sheet more confusing, even though he understood the color immediately - the message had come from the Barrier Team.

It just said "There is white now."

The message had been delivered shortly after Kakashi's team had left his short debriefing the day before. He had personally gone down to check the Barrier Team's still useless Barrier Scan for himself; and indeed, amid the large swathes of black and shifting patches of grey, there were small flashes of white now, far smaller but undeniable.

Just what the Hell was going on in his village?

((Page Break))

Sasuke paused. He was in a different area then before, having decided he'd have to constantly keep moving if he was to train in privacy. No point taking the chance his sensei would discover what he was doing before it was time.

Bu the pause was mostly because Sasuke was taking one last chance to think over the very… very stupid idea he had in his head. True, sometimes good ideas were stupid, and this idea was something he considered necessary. Vital, in fact. He absolutely had to do it.

It didn't change the face that it was still insane.

No, not insane he supposed. Just very risky; he wasn't sure if this would even work to begin with, or what the consequences would be. Even with all of the information that had come with the Keyblades, even being able to control Light as he could, Sasuke still didn't know all of the mysteries of a Heart- from what he could tell, even this King Mickey hadn't. The risk this carried to not just his person, but his Heart, was close to extreme.

But there was one thing he WAS certain of. Something Itachi had made very clear.

(Flashback)

"_Foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me, then hate me, detest me, and survive in an unsightly way. Foster your hatred. Run, run and cling to your wretched life. And one day, when you have the same eyes I do, come before me."_

"_You can also activate the Mangekyo Sharingan as I did. But, there is one condition. You must kill... your closest friend."_

"_Thanks to him, I was able to obtain this eye…"_

"_In that case… there would be a reason to let you live."_

(Flashback End)

Back then, and on the days since then when he thought back on those specific words, Sasuke thought he had understood those words. Kill your best friend, get the eye… he just didn't understand how. But since learning about the power of a Heart, he'd come to a more complete understanding: while he'd never really had one, a best friend was someone people cherished. A person that held a special bond, a special place in the Heart. Like a family member, it would be painful to lose them…

How much more so, to be the one that killed them?

And that pain was the key. The emotional pain of loss was what caused fully matured Sharingan to 'evolve' into the Mangekyo. Itachi had made it so very clear, that he would have to kill a best friend to gain that eye… but Sasuke couldn't do that. For one thing he was now chosen by the Light, and to take such a path was completely divulging from the righteous destiny he'd been chosen for. What goodness was there in sacrificing someone like a best friend, even to gain what was required to right such a wrong? But more importantly, he couldn't do it how his brother had. To follow that same path, even to kill that traitor… if nothing else, it would probably satisfy Itachi that Sasuke had done the same. He had to gain those eyes another way.

And now he had it.

Sasuke took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. This next part would be very painful… not only possibly physically, but certainly emotionally. With his Heart empowered by Light, he'd lately discovered his emotions were much stronger when he allowed himself to feel them. His joy at his new power was something he'd never even felt before, he didn't think he could be so happy…his anger at his brother, Darkness, and Nothingness was beyond what he thought he was capable of. And now…

"_Foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me, then hate me, detest me… Foster your Hatred."_

Now he could hate enough. Always had his dreams and waking thoughts contained hatred towards the man who'd taken everything from him, cut the bonds of family he'd treasured… but the loathing he was now capable of was beyond his imagination. If hatred would end the life of Itachi, Sasuke would give it in overkill.

But he could also hurt enough. Sasuke had realized that with his Heart's emotions magnified, he could potentially force enough pain on himself through his memories to induce the transformation of his eyes, without having to sacrifice an innocent life. But the whole idea wasn't exactly proven… or tested. Not to mention the possibility of adverse affects from this method.

It was dangerous… but Sasuke was a warrior of Light now. He would do what needed to be done, because that was what this new burden asked of him, and what his older burden of vengeance asked.

Sasuke closed his eyes, taking even deeper breaths to enter a sort of meditative state. He shut away his concentration from the smells and sounds of the outside world, and focused inward to his Heart. For a while, he could feel his connection to his physical self break- it was as if his spirit was afloat in a sea of blackness, searching for what he was seeking so vehemently…

_Let me… Let me see my memories._

And then he saw it, even though his eyes stayed closed- his Heart. Far off at first, it seemed to slowly zoom in towards him, shining brighter with every moment. By the time it was before him, it seemed to his out-of-body-experience-self the size of a large building. Sasuke could see the chains made of his memories beneath the surface, twisting and flashing with color and sound and emotion.

Sasuke willed his 'dream-self' forward, drawing closer to his Heart. There were 12 years of memories within his Heart, but Sasuke only wanted to find certain chains. He pressed against the surface of the Heart, slowly entering like passing into a bubble, and then gasped. His Heart seemed deceptively small from the outside, but within it was massive. The chains swam all around him in massive multitudes, each link as large as his Heart seemed from the outside. Had he shrunk? Was his Heart just very deep? Or was it a by-product of a Heart empowered by the Light? Sasuke couldn't even see the other end of the Heart.

Calming himself, Sasuke silently willed to his own Heart, asking for very specific memories-

And suddenly Sasuke felt himself pulled by an unseen force, rushing along massive links of chain. He was sure that if this was his physical self, the speed would have ripped him to shreds, and that even now the smallest collision with a chain would turn him to paste- but the force kept on pulling, barely avoiding chain upon chain of memory as Sasuke was dragged along. He could see them as he passed by, only brief glimpses of what was in the links but still as clear as when he had first lived them.

"_Now you three, I'm going to teach you how to climb trees…"_

"_Sasuke-kun, wanna go have lunch with me?" "No, me!"_

"_Alright now class, it's time to review the substitution jutsu-"_

"_I heard he was the only survivor-"_

Sasuke felt himself suddenly slowing down in his trip down memory chain… this was it. He could feel his 'dream-self' sweat as he came to a stop in front of one very long, very thick chain. Bracing himself, Sasuke willed out to his Heart once more.

_Show me. Show me every… every painful moment, EVERYTHING I've lost! Everything HE has taken from me!_

Suddenly, Sasuke screamed out in terrible pain, the agony of the memories of that night returning to him with a force he'd never felt before. His altered Heart felt the terrible emotions of those memories with multiplied force, beyond anything he thought he could feel.

The bodies… Kami, the bodies were everywhere. The horrifying detail had never been like this, so vivid and accurate as if he was there once again. So much blood-

_Father! Mother!_

Oh blind ignorance! He hadn't thought Itachi… that Itachi could…

_Why? Why?_

… _Foolish Little Brother…_

The look in his eyes… the apathy, the lack of any remorse for what he'd done!

_I did it to measure my capacity... It was essential._

Everything, every moment Sasuke had ever thought his older brother had cared for him…

_I continued acting as the older brother you desired…to see if that potential lies hidden. You found me disagreeable and hated me._

_Because of that, I will let you live._

…_For my sake._

Nothing! Every bond his brother had ever made with him had been nothing! Every smile, every promise, every kind gesture nothing more than a lie, and like a fool he had swallowed it all!

_Curse me…_

He would! Sasuke would damn the name Itachi until his last breath!

_Hate me…_

With every fiber of his being! With every ounce of emotion his Heart was able to muster!

_And some day, when you have the same eyes as me…_

Mangekyo would stare into Mangekyo! For his family… his parents… for everything! Sasuke would look into a future where Itachi Uchiha finally perished!

_Come before me!_

Outside of this pseudo-reality within his Heart, in the world of the body and the physical, a symphony began. Had anyone been close enough to hear it, or had there been a wind to carry it, one would have heard a voice making music… a harmony of undeniable, unrivaled, unimaginable agony all contained on a furious scream…

And had anyone seen the source of this music of sorrow and pain, they would have seen Sasuke Uchiha… clutching his eyes as they glowed with raw Light behind his hands, and burned with pain even greater than that within his Heart.

((Page break))

In a slightly distant part of the forest surrounding the Hidden Leaf, a small ring of Heartless hid. The Search Ghosts had materialized into the trees as to be unseen, simply watching for any possible sign of incoming persons. Ever since the Hokage had first inexplicably started using massive hidden patrols, it had become necessary to keep a better lookout in case someone came along. Even now, the Ghosts kept their special vision trained as far as possible, ready at a moment's notice to warp to the center of that circle and alert the two people within.

That very security was why Naruto and Hinata, both having temporarily released the layers of Genjutsu sealing hiding their older appearance, took every opportunity to relax, and let the world outside that circle pass by for a while. Naruto lay on the ground, back to a massive tree as Hinata lay back against him, snuggled nicely in his arms. He grinned, enjoying every moment he got to lay a soft kiss on her neck or cheek, her fingers gently rubbing his hands in appreciation.

"It's nice, isn't it Hina-hime? No worries, no fighting, no nothing… just us."

"If only it was always this way Naruto-kun." She smiled, but the look downturned slightly as a thought that had wormed into her head came back. "Naruto-kun… everything is ready, as far as _he_ is concerned, but… are you sure you want to do this? It's so risky, we've never tried anything like this at all, and we could end up killing him. He'd lose his life-"

"What life?" Hinata paused, saddened that she couldn't make a reply to that. Because it was **Naruto**- he knew what he was talking about in this particular matter. "You know what the Heartless showed us after they checked him out. People look at him like a bomb ready to go off, a menace. The fear they had for him was as palpable as the loathing I've gotten here. But more importantly Hinata, it WILL work. We're going to save him from the loneliness I might have known, and that's that." Hinata nodded, sighing neutrally. In truth she was still concerned, but she and Naruto had done incredible things separately and together. Her love somehow did things she didn't think even he was capable of- but that was her soul mate, a walking impossibility that had the potential to change the world. Their Hearts and Souls were strong… hopefully they'd be strong enough for this.

She then snuggled down, resting her head in his lap and smiling sweetly. "Well then… do you think my Naruto-kun could play me something, while we still have time together?" He grinned, applying a bit of chakra to a seal on one arm, and with a poof his violin appeared before him, ready to play.

"Yes, I could. Anything for my Hinata-hime."

She snuggled down into Naruto gently as he began to draw the bow across the strings. The music was slow and steady, but not dreary as it wafted through the branches. It was light, so soft and fragile as if it was glass to be shattered… but somehow, under the lightness, the music seemed to hold a hidden strength, as if at any moment the music would crescendo and burst forth in stronger tunes.

It was a song of the times… when at any moment these two lovers, as well their villages, could be plunged into war. And Naruto's voice, soft and yet full of strength in its tone, echoed that sense.

**(2)**

_I walk the gentle sunny wood_

_Beneath the canopy go I,_

_And sing of my foes coming doom_

_Beneath the distant sky._

_Nothingness cloak thy wandering son_

_From fears that strike our door,_

_And Darkness cloak thy ravaged one_

_In vestments cut for war._

_Our Souls are quick and tempered shields_

_They roar our battle cry,_

_Our Hearts are sharp and piercing spears_

_To slay our foe on high._

_Nothingness cloak thy wandering son_

_From fears that strike our door,_

_And Darkness cloak thy ravaged one_

_In vestments cut for war._

_Our shadow reaches long and wide_

_Across the raging land,_

_And with it we'll take victory_

_And grasp it in our hand._

_For though our foes are great and large_

_Just like the rushing tide,_

_Our Hearts will battle hour by hour_

_Until our foes subside._

_Nothingness cloak thy wandering son_

_From fears that strike our door,_

_And Darkness cloak thy ravaged one_

_In vestments cut for war._

Naruto finished, letting the last draw across the violin echo softly around the clearing. He set it aside, and then hugged Hinata close, thinking of what would come in only a few days. It was true, what they planned to do had never been done to a Jinchuriki before. But that was irrelevant; they WOULD succeed. Naruto smiled, softly kissing his love's cheek, reveling in her touch, her scent, her warmth, her everything. He wondered; if it hadn't been for everything that had happened to him, would he have come to love her so? Would he have even been the person he was today? The thought scared him sometimes, but whether yes or no he still had his life, had her love. And if there was any chance he could save someone who had suffered for the same reason he did, Naruto would do what he could to save that person. 5 days from today, the Chunin Exams would come, and then everything would arrive at fruition… but tomorrow, if the Search Ghosts were right about their pace, someone would be saved from the pain Naruto knew all too well. And then, he would help Hinata save even more. His hands enclosed around Hinata's as he whispered to himself, the words deaf on her slumbering ears.

"Gaara… it hurt so much, when the Search Ghosts came back and showed me what they saw. The fear everyone directs toward you, the hate and intent to kill you show them. To think you see yourself as a monster, so alone even with a brother and sister, when I had no one… would I have been the same, had I still contained the Kyuubi?"

"But that doesn't matter now. I'll save you… I'll show you the love one human being, one friend can give another. My Heart will save you. I'll save you from the path I might have known…"

((Page Break))

_Nothingness cloak thy wandering son_

_From fears that strike our door,_

_And Darkness cloak thy ravaged one_

_In vestments cut for war._

((Page Break))

((The next day))

"Jeez, you gotta give these Leaf bozos credit. Outside and in, they really beefed up security. We're lucky we get to just walk right in the front door…" Temari frowned, raising her eyebrows at Kankuro to pass on the silent message of _Shut. Up._ The Suna team had only recently arrived at the Leaf village, and already Kankuro was having too big a mouth for her liking. She was having enough trouble worrying about Gaara.

Her eyes turned back to where the youngest sibling followed them. They weren't in Suna anymore, no one knew wha—_who_ Gaara was, but there were so many people here. The Leaf Village wasn't just one of the more populace shinobi villages, it was densely packed. From the look on Baki's face, he was just as relived as her that the hotel they had been directed to was coming up. So many people around Gaara, so many people he could kill - it was a miracle the Ichibi hadn't already worked him into a frenzy. Her attention to her younger brother was torn away as the older suddenly let out a low whistle.

"Would you look at this? Nothing this nice back in Suna." Temari paused for a second, finding herself in agreement with Kankuro. (Something that didn't happen too often.) The Hotel was one of the ritzier, high-class ones, the marble walls adorned with red silk hangings and plush blue carpet covering the floor of the bottom floor. The rooms had been rented out by the Hokage and Village Council for visiting Genin Teams. Most likely it was a diplomatic tactic of assuring goodwill… and a fancy way to show off as well. Well, if the Leaf was going to pay for it, she might as well enjoy it.

"But there must be a mistake." Temari turned towards the front desk, where her sensei was engaged in conversation with a young man running the front desk. He was a very prim, proper and well-dressed man, most likely put there to hype up the fancy atmosphere the hotel seemed to exhume- and he was obviously used to more refined, calm guests who didn't get very confrontational. Or at least not like the way her sensei was giving him quite the evil eye. "We left Suna 3 days ago. It makes no sense for you to have received a message for me that day from the _Kazekage_!"

"B-But sir, it all seemed quite official… the messenger said t-to tell you he was wearing a bright red sash, and he was indeed clothed with one." The frightened man handed over an ornate envelope, which Baki promptly tore from his fingers and opened. _If he was really wearing a red sash..._ Baki read the letter and frowned. It was the Kazekage's handwriting, no doubt about that…

_Leave your team at the hotel and report to the entrance of Konoha's Forest of Death. Orochimaru's agent, Kabuto, should be waiting for you there with important information._

Terse, unapologetic, and to the point- it was defiantly his Kage's style. Baki turned back to his team, tossing Temari and Kankuro the room keys. "I need to go and meet someone for… important business." No sense blabbering it aloud in the crowded lobby. "You three stay in the room until I return. And Gaara... keep your urges under control. Your father doesn't need any diplomatic problems right now just because you couldn't keep IT contained." The red-haired boy scoffed, looking away from his sensei in a bored fashion. "All of you...take care until I return."

Baki left the hotel, and then began a quick jog in the direction of the forest. Orochimaru had supplied the Sand Village with the information of important locations in the village, such as the one he was headed to now… but to need to meet with Kabuto so soon? Hopefully, the plan was still running relatively smoothly.

Baki was soon out of sight from the hotel, unaware that he had just seen his Genin for the very last time…

((Page Break))

Two pairs of yellow eyes and another that were silvery-gray peered into the Suna team's hotel room from three floors up. The cloaked, unidentifiable figures had been watching the preceding events closely from the empty room; they waited for the moment their targets would enter the room and close the door, but the sudden development of the Jonin sensei leaving was unexpected.

Unexpected wasn't looking fun at the moment to Naruto. Kakashi had come to their team meeting that morning- On time! He had resisted the urge to use Konmeigan to see if it was **really** Kakashi- and had started them on an extremely intensive workout… intensive being the lightest possible way to describe it. He'd told Team 7 that the Chunin Exams were only one week away- and that apparently, he thought that a week of intensive, back-breaking, ridiculous training would prepare them, or they simply wouldn't enter. That had gotten Sasuke hooked, and that in turn seemed to rope in Sakura. He planned to drill them intensively in Taijutsu, work their bodies to the breaking point, just whatever it took. To her credit, Sakura had actually lasted an hour before collapsing. Sasuke lasted 3 hours, and Naruto had faked exhaustion after 4. Kakashi told them to head home, and rest - they had another round that night.

But that kind of unexpected was just annoying. This was trouble. Their memory-thoughts echoed quickly between the seals on their arms like lightning.

_This wasn't part of the plan, Naruto-kun - we were supposed to take all four of them, so no one would notice them missing for 4 days._

_I know, Hinata-hime. This definitely throws a wrench in the plan…_

_Brother, maybe we should just pull back. We can do this when he returns-_

_No Lee, it's now or never. We don't know if an opportunity this good will come again. In fact, it's better than expected. If Baki is going to meet this Kabuto person, he must be involved in Orochimaru's operation somehow...there. I have a Search Ghost following him. When he finds the both of them together, he'll report to us and then we'll capture them both separately. We can't keep Shino waiting all day at the base, so let's do it._

The other two cloaked figures nodded to the first. One of them was already at work, a silvery-gray pool of Nothingness beneath her. One of the figures cloaked in black jumped in, followed shortly by her. The first conspirator in black had already vanished in a puff of Darkness. The pool quickly snapped shut as its creator jumped in, and soon the room was vacant once more.

Three floors down, Temari and Kankuro were about to settle onto their beds when a figure appeared in a puff of black…_something_ behind their younger brother. It laid a hand on Gaara's shoulder, and before they could blink or before Gaara's sand could react, they were gone in another puff. So surprised were the two sand siblings, they didn't even notice a silvery portal form in mid-air behind them until two sets of arms reached out and gripped them in full nelsons. They were pulled through, the portal closed again, and the room was empty, silent as a tomb.

((Page Break))

Baki shivered a bit as he stared out past the fence into Konoha's Forest of Death… a place that aptly deserved its name. Oh, he'd heard the stories about past examinations, tales from older and younger shinobi of overly large wild beasts, poisonous plants, deadly insects, and more. But just looking at it from the outside gave credit to this 'training ground 44'- it was as if Konoha's warm, sunny atmosphere hit an invisible wall at the fence, unable to trespass onto the grounds. Had anyone else besides the two of them been anywhere near there at the time, he was sure they would agree with him.

His gaze turned from the forest to yet another sight, one only slightly less disturbing. The 'Genin' known as Kabuto. How he had been able to keep undercover as Orochimaru's spy for any length of time, or how long he had, was a mystery to him. But Baki simply didn't like the boy. Kabuto wasn't too brash or too timid; not too bold or too withdrawn. He was mild… too mild. In a world where ninja usually developed personality quirks, styles, or reputation, someone of Kabuto's caliber was surprisingly plain.

And Baki found him all the more dangerous for it. It was impossible to read 'underneath the underneath' with that boy.

"I received the Kazekage's message. Well, what information do you have for me?" Baki was a bit unnerved as Kabuto started walking calmly towards him, pulling a manila envelope from behind his back.

"The Kazekage ordered you to return to Suna, for want of someone trust worthy to be there when the attack started. Just in case anything should go awry. After all, Gaara can more than take care of himself and his team."

"… You know, it's generally considered rude to look at messages between another Kage and his shinobi." Baki reach his hand out, palm up to receive the envelope and see the message for himself.

"Oh, that's not what's in here," Kabuto grinned, and suddenly he let go of the envelope and both hands thrust forward, already glowing with chakra. Before Baki could even register this traitorous act, he was flying backwards, body numb from the strikes to his right shoulder. He hit the ground hard, preparing to roll up and counter attack… and then collapsed into a heap. Baki had meant to tuck his arms, but… his legs were flexing out? He tried to move his legs… only to see his left arm press to his side. Strangely, his right remained motionless. He stared in horror and confusion from his back as Kabuto started towards him again. "That's the story I'll be telling your team. Smart as they are, you'll find I have a talent for deception. Medical jutsu as well- that was a combination of a chakra scalpel to sever the tendons and muscle to your right arm, and converting my chakra into an electric shock to your nervous system, flipping it entirely. With enough time, you could figure out the reversal and regain some control… but with one limb paralyzed, it's only that more difficult." Kabuto smiled wider, both hands glowing now, and proceeded to immobilize the rest of Baki's limbs in a similar fashion for good measure.

"T-Traitor… I suppose being a tool… of the Snake Sannin… has made you disloyal not only to this alliance, but… to him as well." The pained grimace on Baki's face seemed to only inflame Kabuto's wicked smirk.

"Oh? My my, that is quite astute of you Baki-san… then again, whoever said Orochimaru-sama was loyal to this alliance?" Kabuto then removed a single photo. Baki barely registered the date at the top, one over a week ago, before his eyes expanded in horror. Suddenly, the last week or so shone with clarity, and he could only curse his foolishness. How could he not have realized something like this?

Kabuto dropped it, his cruel grin unchanging, and then knelt down to deliver the finishing blow. The kunai in his hand glinted brightly, obscuring Baki's vision. "When you see your lord again, deliver to him this message… Orochimaru-sama underestimated just how pathetic he truly was."

As the Sand Jonin lay there, paralyzed and blinded, he thought not of his death. He could only think of his team, hoping Temari and Kankuro would survive without him… and of the photo he had just seen, of his Kazekage lying dead and stripped bare under Suna's hot sun.

((Page Break))

"So, they finally gave you a break huh? It's amazing how much work you've been putting in to get this place up to 'code'. Either they're terrible medic-nin, or your standards have gotten a lot higher since you left this place." Jiraiya reached over, pouring more sake into the small cup in Tsunade's grasp. The two Sannin were on the hospital roof, leaning on the railing and relaxing now that Tsunade's shift had ended. Below the two teammates, the village spread out like a beautiful picture, sun glinting off the buildings and the people below milling about. The hospital was tall enough that everything below seemed separated, like a world away- it made talking easier, feeling like they could escape the pressures of the world for even a little while.

"Tch, and they call themselves doctors. I'm amazed that the senior personal can tell a kidney stone from a shoulder blade. Even with all the advances in the last 10-odd years, they're nothing compared to where I was," Tsunade sighed, tipping the cup back and letting the bite from the alcohol relax her temper. "I don't think they could be relied on mid-combat, much less with a full trauma ward."

"Well, those are your standards. Aside from them, Konoha still has a reputation for some of the best medical shinobi around, and with the new program sensei gave you it'll only get better." Jiraiya tipped back a glass of his own, and then stared solemnly in the direction of the Hokage tower. "Hiruzen got old, didn't he? I didn't come here very often the last few years, but it's really been showing, even with the reconditioning he's put himself through-"

"It isn't just physical," Tsunade sighed, thinking back to memories of Sarutobi before she'd left. "Oh, he has aged some in that regard, but he's still the tough old bastard we both knew and loved. He just looks so… tired. As if his spirit hasn't rested in a lifetime." She gave a melancholy smile, holding her cup out. "We really are old, aren't we Jiraiya? Old enough to remember how much the world has changed, but still not old enough to sit back and let the new generation take over. We just can't seem to retire."

Jiraiya laughed deeply, pouring her another cup as he thought back himself. "Of course not. These 'kids' are all still wet behind the ears. They never had to fight a war, never sacrifice what we all had… and the middle generation isn't old enough to start complaining yet." He sighed, setting the bottle down on the railing. "The world got smaller Tsunade. Even as new paths open for the next generation, they all seem to shrink a bit. Open land shrinks, borders get messy, and then everyone looks at everyone with a kunai hid behind their smiles. Then with groups like this Akatsuki or Shadow running around, toss in Orochimaru… I worry about them, Tsunade. Most of them wouldn't be able to survive a war… when every step seems a mile, and the signposts to the next battle are made of the friends that line the path. Remember Hanzo? We went in there with a hundred and fifty shinobi, 150 friends and comrades we'd fought and laughed beside… and only we three walked out. Before we met Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, it was the longest, guiltiest walk I ever took."

"Well, that's why we can't retire. The lucky bastards would laugh at us for taking the easy way out." Tsunade set her cup down, her mood matching Jiraiya's. "What can you do though? It's all well and good to hope things work out, to think peace can come soon…but people are people, and they can never really join hands and sing, can they? It's all fight or flight, and no one lets their pride say flight. It just keeps repeating - all we can do is try to keep peace as long as possible before the next kunai is drawn."

"And what about saying no? Just breaking that cycle for once? It's what I think about, something I wish for-"

"And when someone says no, and the person opposite them cuts them down and is just glad it took less effort?" Tsunade stood, flashing a tired but honest smile to Jiraiya. "Kami bless you, you old lecher, for being willing to see a better side of humanity, because I lost that a long time ago. It's a trait you get from being so damn immature… our eyes go bad when we're old. Only children can still see light when the sun goes down."

"And getting grouchy is a trait you get from growing old quicker than me- oww!" The Sannin rubbed his head, already feeling the bump form. "Heh, you hit just as hard… and still look pretty doing it." He grinned- no blush, but he could tell she appreciated it, even if it was at a level she didn't want to admit. "Well, I gotta get going. If you and sensei are getting back into the rhythm of things again, I guess I gotta catch up and train too." Yes, and as quickly as he could. He still had to perfect **that** technique… Jiraiya stepped onto the railing, preparing to start leaping across the roofs. But then he stopped, turning to grin widely at Tsunade. "And you're wrong, you know… not surprising really."

"About what, you perverted aged ass?" She pushed her sleeve up, ready to clobber him off the damn building for that remark-

"About seeing the light in the dark. We all can… the moon and the stars are there, right?" He grinned at his own smart-ass comment, and then leapt away, already clearing several buildings on his journey. Tsunade shook her head in annoyance, despite the small smile on her face. She leaned onto the rail to watch him depart into the distance.

"Senile idiot… but it figures. Only you could make me feel like it's worth believing in, even if only a little."

((Page Break))

Temari shook her head, desperately trying to clear her vision. One moment she'd been in the hotel room with her brother, and then out of nowhere a pair of hands had grabbed her from behind- how in the Hell had they gotten into the room?- and then suddenly she was standing in what appeared to be some kind of large atrium. No windows, and torches were lighting the place… were they underground?

That was all she had time to think before a pair of hands restrained hers, a leg suddenly sweeping her feet out and bringing her to her knees. Temari struggled, but whoever had a hold on her was damn strong; it was like trying to break hard iron. To her right, she could see Kankuro in a similar position… held by a figure in a pitch black robe, his entire figure hidden from view.

"Don't struggle please, it will make this more difficult…" Temari froze. The voice behind her wasn't male, or female… it sounded cold, and mechanical, like coming from a voice modulator. She turned and gasped as her eyes took in a figure hidden in a similar robe, this one a very dark blue. Her mind raced- colored, mysterious robes, voice synthesizers, and they were skilled enough that Temari and her brother hadn't stood a chance. Was this that Shadow group she'd heard rumors about? They were faster than tales told. She wondered if even Gaara could keep up with-

_Gaara!_ Temari turned back to scan the atrium for her brother, and then blanched- he was standing near the center of the room, in front of two more robed figures, another in black and one in some kind of silvery-gray. The former was staring at her brother, head cocked to the side almost as if in curiosity… and the latter had some kind of jagged, rigid strands of… of _something_ protruding from the space right in front of its hand, the same color as its robes. There were dozens of them, all around Gaara and very close to touching him. Behind Gaara, Temari could see where they pierced deep into the wall. The figure's right hand held a ball of the silvery stuff, looking ready to attack- probably the only reason her brother hadn't sent his sand to kill these two yet. If even Gaara was disabled… Kami, they were at the group's mercy.

"…Mother is afraid." Temari jumped in her captors hold. Gaara was looking back and forth between the two robed figures, his voice steady… or was it? Temari thought she could hear a sliver of awe… or, for once, was it fear? She shivered at the idea of something scaring Gaara of all people. "She is afraid, and yet excited at your very presence. What are you?" Gaara stared the two down, wondering; if they were this strong, mother would surely be pleased when he spilled their blood, as soon as he found a way to avoid the jagged strands.

Hinata frowned, her right hand flexing just a twitch. Her Thorns were faster than Gaara's sand, and the boy knew it, but he still looked ready to attack them at any second. Her Kyomugan could easily see his gourd twitching, eager to turn to sand and reach out to strangle them, or crush them, or whatever painful forms of death he could imagine. A small part of her worried, hoping he really was still capable of being saved like her love thought.

"Huh… well, human I suppose. If it isn't too arrogant, I'd like to say we're complicated. In any case, today is your lucky day Gaara… we're going to be your saviors."

"Savior? I need no such concept. A savior will not validate me… but a victim. Yes, a victim can validate me, prove that I exist. Soon, I will make the four of you my victims. The only shame is that there won't be enough blood to properly stain this clean floor of yours." Gaara grinned wildly, the cork of his gourd jiggling from the sand within, desiring to reach out and crush them.

"Well, that's a relief. Mopping this whole place up takes a while." Naruto smiled under his hood, still not revealing his face to the Suna team. "Still, I think it's about time we get started. We'd prefer if you held still, because we have never actually tried this before-"

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about?" The occupants of the room turned to Temari, who had begun struggling again in her captors grasp. Gaara frowned, unsure of where this outburst was coming from. It wasn't as if she cared... "You wanna perform some jutsu you never even tested on my brother? You must have a screw loose! You have no idea of what's inside him!"

"Well, I've never met the Ichibi before, so I guess you have a point." The figure laughed at the shocked looks on Temari and Kankuro, and the slightly surprised look that even Gaara couldn't hide; his chortle made all the creepier by his voice synthesizer. "Please, we knew about his Bijuu when we first investigated your brother, and you plan to invade the Leaf with Orochimaru. It's why we're doing this in the first place." From within the sleeve of his black robe, the figure raised a hand… human, but covered in some dark, moving energy that made Temari shiver. It looked nothing like chakra… true, she'd never seen darkness chakra, but even Shukaku's golden chakra still looked like chakra.

"Damn, let him go!" Temari barely could register that she hadn't said 'us', and the fact they knew of the coming invasion wasn't even on her mind at all. Her feelings of guilt towards how she had helped to make her brother suffer welled up in her, urging her to come to his defense… that, and the situation was making her realize that even at some small, desperate level, she wanted to believe something of her brother was left.

"Shut up." She froze, turning to Gaara slowly. The look on his face nearly broke her heart- it was a look of disgust, as if he saw her attempt as nothing more than the guilt trip it mostly was. Kami, even in trying to help him, she just hurt him more… "Try whatever you want. In the end, it will make no difference." Gaara's gourd stirred, the cork inching upward now from the top. Kankuro shook his head wildly.

_Idiot! What the hell is he doing? These people could have already killed us, does he want to die?_

And still, Gaara's deathly calm, rasping voice continued. "In the end, Mother will intervene, and then you'll be another kill, another step in proving my existence. I will not disappear from this world, not now not ever… and not by your hands."

"Disappear? We had no intention of performing any magic tricks. We just wanna have a… 'talk' with Mother." Taking a moment to say a silent prayer to Kami that it would work, Naruto quickly thrust a hand out, and raw Darkness sprung forth from it in a stream, coursing like a rope that passed _into_ Gaara. The sand rapidly sprang up from the gourd, seemingly ready to surge forward and tear him limb from limb- and then it stopped mid-air, as if arrested by a thought.

For a moment all was still… and then Temari gasped in fright and worry as Gaara, standing still on his feet, began screaming in pain, his face twisted into horrible agony. As she watched, the figure garbed in silvery-gray let a similar amount of whatever her strange power was flow into Gaara as well. His screaming intensified, hands clawing at his stomach in anguish.

"_**STOP IT**__!_" Temari shrieked, struggling harder than before in her captors grasp. Even if it was almost all guilt over what she had done, she still felt some small amount of love for her brother, she wouldn't stand by now and let him die right before her eyes! Besides her, Kankuro began struggling as well. He told himself it was only because if Gaara kicked the bucket, they would be next… and tried to ignore the concern for his brother he had believed did not exist anymore.

"Lay off already! What the hell do you think you're doing to him?" Naruto turned for just a moment, and under his hood smiled at Kankuro's outburst, in which he could hear the seed of concern. Maybe Gaara would have someone to bring with him after all.

"Like I said…" Naruto took a grip on the thick cord of Darkness with both hands, pulling tighter, seeming to struggle against another force. "We just… want a talk… with Mother!"

"It'd be easier… if she wasn't being such a bitch about it!" Hinata tugged harder as well, though her words were partly to mask her concern. The Ichibi… his Heart and Soul were resisting fiercely. They still weren't sure what this would do to Gaara's seal, or even to Gaara-

And then, like a child emerging slowly from a new mother, screaming its first breaths of life, came Shukaku. His Heart and Soul began to emerge from Gaara's stomach, cords of Darkness and Nothingness wrapped around them respectively. His chakra was unaffected, but this was a battle of wills between Hearts and souls- and these kids were stronger. As they were pulled even further out of Gaara's body, a faint, shimmering image of a large creature began to form above them, above Gaara… a pale, transparent image of the demonic tanuki itself. Temari and Kankuro felt their blood go cold at seeing the demon in the real world. Meanwhile, stunned for a moment at appearing in the physical realm again, Shukaku then roared in rage and fear at the two assailants, desperately battling his resolve against theirs.

"_**NOOOOO! You can't do this! I won't let you two end me like this, not now that I'm out, now that I'm free! I'll tear you little shit-stains apart first and paint the walls red!"**_ He seemed to suck in a massive breath, before slamming a paw into his stomach. _**"Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet!"**_ However, despite the Biju's face contorting as if it had spat out the massively destructive ball of compressed wind, nothing happened. They should have been ripped into bloody little meat chunks, but not a breeze, not even a gust.

"Naruto and I have never done this before, so we're not sure how you're image can even appear to us like that…" Hinata pulled tighter, a grin of satisfaction forming as it seemed to make the demon howl in pain. "But you're chakra is still inside Gaara's body. You're in our territory now, and you have no weapon to fight us with. Accept defeat."

"_**Never!"**_ Shukaku struggled harder. It was finally out of his host's body, but he hadn't wanted it to be like this! His ghostly image flailed in wide-eyed fear, almost torn from Gaara entirely-

And then everything went nuts.

As his Heart and Soul were torn from Gaara, Shukaku gave one almighty scream of horror before his image burst into a million pieces. Naruto and Hinata landed on their asses as the resistance they'd been pulling against failed. Above them, Shukaku's Heart and Soul hung in midair, still wrapped up in the ropes of power the two teens had used. And before them all, Gaara was still clutching his stomach, the screaming unabated- but now Shukaku's golden chakra was swirling around him wildly, along with the sand, and in-between the two, those in the atrium could see swirls of coursing Darkness and Nothingness.

Lee backed up a few steps, greatly concerned. He barely registered his hands still restraining Kankuro. "Naruto, what is going on here? This is becoming quite dangerous!" Beside him, Shino turned to give him a sharp glare for using the blonde's name, but Hinata interrupted, apparently without any concern for the slip-up.

"We didn't just pull Shukaku out of him. When we started, his Heart and Soul were already mostly merged into Gaara's!" A column of Nothingness issued from her hand, pulsing into the tornado before them. Beside her, Naruto did the same with Darkness. "We had to separate them, and now his Heart and Soul are unstable. My guess is they started merging so long ago, he's become dependent on it. If we don't stabilize him, he'll give out!"

Temari and Kankuro had no clue what the cloaked figures were talking about. Temari only knew that Gaara was in pain, and she was absolutely useless to help him! Kankuro too felt a still growing measure of concern for his brother, but was equally helpless. They only watched the storm of odd powers in front of them grow larger, and more frightening-

And then suddenly, it all blasted away from Gaara in one final scream. Naruto and Hinata put up shields of their respective powers at the very last second, barely separated from the explosion. Lee, Shino, and their captives were not so lucky, and were blasted away from the epicenter into the wall. Between the Darkness, Nothingness, chakra, and sand, no one could see a thing of Gaara. As it finally died down, the six shinobi blinked the sand from their eyes as the dust settled, all of them trying to see if Gaara was ok, if he had survived- and in unison they gasped.

There was Gaara, bent over on all fours and panting heavily… his clothes hanging on his too-small frame.

Yes, too small. Gaara looked as if he'd shrunk greatly, about down to 3'6", a far cry from his previous 4'9". His brick red hair looked a bit longer and his face had the fresher look of a boy maybe 6 years old. A bit rounder, as if possessing of baby fat again, his chubbier cheeks seemed flushed as if with exertion.

"So, Lee…" Naruto turned to his sworn brother, rubbing the back of his head nervously, like a child who'd broken something he shouldn't have. "You're usually good at guessing when weird things like this happen… any ideas?" Lee shook his head slowly, still staring at the shrunken boy.

"Brother… even with my father's Youthfulness, I couldn't even begin to guess at this one."

Meanwhile, Temari slowly began moving, inching close to Gaara on all fours. Her face was ashen white, as if she had seen a ghost. Gaara looked exactly as he did when he was 6, before Uncle Yashamaru's life-changing betrayal. Even his forehead was bare, the kanji for 'love' he had carved his own flesh gone and leaving smooth skin behind. "G… Gaara?" The boy's head snapped up, and he noticed how much bigger Temari seemed… then looked down at himself… and then threw himself back, an arm held up in front of himself defensively as he looked over to the cloaked figures, eyes wide in fear.

"G-Get away!" He began to pant desperately, sand suddenly whipping around him in a dome… but it quickly fell away. He seemed unable to concentrate, the dome reforming and collapsing again and again as he screamed. "Stay away from me! How did you…" Gaara clutched his throat, hearing the high, childish voice of his boyhood issue from his mouth… and then blushed furiously, head drawing down in embarrassment. He didn't... he didn't FEEL like this, he never did! What was _wrong _with him?

"Fascinating…" Naruto's Konmeigan roamed over Gaara's Heart, taking in the peculiarities of the situation. "There's no time to go through them all, but he still has the memories of all 12 years of his life. However, emotionally his Heart has regressed to a younger age… apparently when it started merging with the Heart of the Ichibi. I guess it came to rely on the Ichibi's Heart for so long, that it was like snapping back to its earliest whole moment- and with all of the chakra, Darkness, and Nothingness we put into him, it somehow caused this physical change. We're probably lucky he didn't lose those memories of chakra control either, or he could have exploded from all that power-"

"Change… change me back!" Gaara's smaller hands balled up, his chubby face scrunched up into anger and humiliated frustration. "Damn it, make me my rightful age again, right now!"

That was all it took for Kankuro to fall over, roaring with laughter he hadn't had in the longest time, laughter that made his eyes tear up, as everyone else look at him like he had gone insane. "Oh... oh Kami… Hahaha! He… that tantrum, he looks just like an angry little chibi, hahahaha!" Temari growled, a long-dormant big sister instinct reawakening for the first time in an age as she got up and stomped towards Gaara, ready to cave his skull in-

And then she stopped, as did Kankuro's laughter, at the sound of sniffling behind her. She turned, and her mouth dropped at a sight she hadn't seen since before that fateful day. Gaara… he was crying.

"Stop it… please stop laughing. I hate this, I hate being so short, I hate how hard it is not to cry, I hate how much my chest hurts… just stop it! I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you both!" And with that Gaara ran/stumbled at Temari, barely able to keep from tripping as he started to pound weakly against her arm, the highest he could reach, acting for all the world like a child with a tantrum. Tears ran down his round cheeks as he hit her, so angry and terrified over what he was feeling now, and that he **was** feeling something.

Temari's eyes glistened as she watched Gaara's frightened tantrum before kneeling down to look Gaara in the eye. The boy started to back away, suddenly terrified beyond all thought by his much bigger, older sister- was she going to hit him? Hurt him? Was… was she going to leave him alone again?

And then Temari did something she never thought she would ever have been able to do before, something she'd never experienced with Gaara.

She reached out both arms, wrapped them around her little brother, and hugged him to her as tightly as she could.

Gaara froze. His sister had never touched him, not like this. It felt so… so warm. Like when Uncle Yashamaru had once hugged him, but even warmer, and softer in a way. This… this was real love, not the faking of someone that despised him, but of another human being that loved him. Gaara suddenly dug his head into her shoulder, his small arms gripping into her as he bawled like a baby, finally being given love after 12 years of denial of it.

Kankuro watched his two siblings, unsure of what to do next. He was relieved for Gaara to be sure… but he had never carried in him the hope he knew his sister has for Gaara. Guilt rocked his gut like a painful pit, spreading to his Heart. Did… did he even deserve to be Gaara's sibling anymore? Did he belong in this picture, beside them both?

Ever so slowly, Kankuro inched towards the two of them, eventually coming to kneel beside them as Temari rubbed Gaara's back, whispering nothing words of comfort. He reached out a trembling hand, which gently came to rest on Gaara's shoulder. The boy's face spun from his older sister's shoulder to look fearfully at Kankuro as he pulled back from the hand ever so slightly. The two boys stared at each other, one looking absolutely terrified of the older boy he knew had hated him, the other silently, desperately begging to be given a second chance, to be the loving big brother he had never been and protect his family. And Temari only watched them both, scared of how whatever happened next would forever change their family.

Time ticked away, second by second… until eventually, trembling like reeds in a wind, Gaara leaned into Kankuro's shoulder, hugging his older brother for the first time and sobbing forgiveness into his shoulder. The older boy hugged him back, tears he would normally scoff at as weakness dropping to the floor. Temari smiled softly, shedding tears of her own joy as she embraced them both, her Heart bursting as much as theirs with unbridled joy.

Somehow, as impossible as it would have seemed only minutes ago, they were a family again.

Naruto smiled, his Heart warmed for the siblings as he slipped an arm gently around Hinata, pulling her to him as they both watched the happy scene before them. There would be time in a little while to tell them everything, to ask them to come to Yamigakure like they had intended, to help Gaara adjust to being a teenager with the body and emotional maturity of a 6 year old.

But for now they, along with Shino and Lee, let the siblings bask in a wonderful moment of forgiveness, when hate and anger and suffering, the defining ideals of their family, had turned to love and peace and forgiveness, shining in the room brighter than any sun.

((Page Break))

_**Preview:**_

_Me: The Sound Four have quickly, quietly passed on from this world, saved from the chaos rushing to break it._

_Me: And yet were they not alive? Did they not think, and feel, and suffer as all do?_

_Me: Here is their story, so that you may hear the sounds of their pain…_

_Next Time: They Sound Once More. It's the history of more monsters, Naruto!_

_Me: Can you hear them? They sound… like such misery…_

((Page Break))

**(1)- Ryoza is based off of two real people. Lieutenant Hy De is also based on a very real person. If you figure out one of the two people Ryoza is based on, you'll figure this out easily.**

**(2)- For each of line of this song, count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. You should be able to do it once for each line- that's the rhythm, as best as I can describe it. Each line should take about two seconds- if you read/sing it fast enough, but not too fast, four lines will take about 8 seconds. Not my rhythm, and the lyrics, while different from the original, are based on a song from a 'Magic: The Gathering' series book.**

Wow, another chapter done. Did all of my small or big plot twists blow your mind? I hope that at least, they left you hungry for my next chapter. Sorry if you're angry I'm doing this bit on the Sound Four, but it will obviously be much, much shorter than a normal story chapter – it's already half done, and it's something I've wanted to get out of my head since Mind of a Monster, when I realized I forgot them.

Please remember to review, it helps keep me from typing crap.

Ja ne!


	17. They Sound Once More

Hi everyone! One day I was looking over "Mind of a Monster", and decided I wanted to do one for the Sound Four. Sorry it took so long. I know you all are probably a bit disappointed that this wasn't a 'canon' chapter. But I was taking a look back through what I had so far, after the last chapter, and realized I kind of killed off certain characters cruelly. And some of those characters, unlike in the actual show/manga, had no back-story. So, I decide to give these guys a break.

Make note- no matter what weird innuendo some of you ever seem to think you see, for my Orochimaru, there is NOTHING sexual happening with these four; he is taking advantage of the horrible lives of 4 or 5 damaged kids… and that's it. Enjoy! (I don't own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, or Magic: The Gathering)

**Let's Get It On!**

**The Dark and Misunderstood**

Written By Kylekatarn77

**Chapter Sixteen**

_**They Sound Once More. It's the history of more monsters, Naruto!**_

**((Page Break))**

**A Spider in the His Web**

Kidomaru ran. In truth, it was all he could do, the only move he had in a sick, ridiculous game that he was forced to participate in every day. His hands clutched tightly to a loaf of bread… the pair above that onto some apples, and the ones above that onto a skin filled with water. Every item stolen. Technically, these items were the reason he was being chased from street to street.

More than that though, it was all of extra arms he was using to carry those items. They were why he snuck into the village every other day, crawling around in the shadows like the spider he resembled. Why anyone who saw him looked in fright for a moment, before that fear turned to hatred and loathing that made his stomach curdle. He was only 8… why did HE have to suffer like this?

The 8 year old boy rounded a corner, disappearing from view. The mob turned soon after him… and found the monster had vanished. They looked around, even up above them to the higher walls- who knew what the multiple-armed little bastard child could do? Finding nothing, they turned and walked away…

And above them, Kidomaru panted softly, tears threatening to fall as he tight gripped onto the food… and the strand of web he had used to drag himself up. He shook his head, before beginning to carefully leap across the buildings, not wanting any more attention. It was a 10 minute trek before he finally reached the outskirts of town, and then into the forest.

Some travel through the woods brought Kidomaru to a large cave, carved laboriously into the rock face. His home… and his brother's home.

Kidomaru wasn't sure about his brother. He knew, from the story his big brother had told, that their mother had died of the strain of giving birth to him, when his older brother was only 10. He knew his father had, without remorse, abandoned the both of them when he'd seen how Kidomaru had… developed in the womb. Kidomaru only knew that he was 8 now, so that meant his big brother, now 18, had cared for him all that time… maybe there had been a time when he'd actually loved his younger sibling.

But if such a time had existed, it was gone now. For Kidomaru literally couldn't remember a single day where Kodimaru hadn't lashed out at Kidomaru, either with tongue or fist or foot or all three at once. The eight-armed boy hated it, but he literally had no one else, and he owed eight years of life to his teenage brother.

Still, there were days when Kidomaru cried himself to sleep, thinking of how it could hurt more…

"Hey, Kidomaru, is that you?" Kidomaru cringed. As always, the gruff voice was laced with irritation, anger, and a smidgen of the same hate the people of their village carried for him. It was well hidden, not obvious like theirs… somehow, to Kidomaru that made it only worse.

"Y-Yes big brother… I got a little more than yesterday… I- I mean you can eat well tonight…"

"About fucking time…" As he stepped from the cave entrance, Kodimaru held his dirty, lean form with a cocky, arrogant swagger, as if he'd done all of the work in getting the food that day. However, his eyes ever so slightly betrayed the hatred he seemed to carry for Kidomaru; the younger brother that, in his eyes, had made him parentless. An outcast. A homeless beggar who had missed out on life caring for some defective freak he had to call a brother… whatever love Kodimaru had felt for his younger brother had truly and wholly died long ago.

"You take so fucking long" Kodimaru admonished, snatching the water skin and bread from Kidomaru's hands. He took a long swig, and then sneered down in disgust. "I'd think that with 6 hands, you'd snatch shit 3 times as fast."

"…Big brother… please, you know I d-don't like being teased like that… not about them." Kidomaru shivered in embarrassment and hurt, all 6 arms rubbing against each other self-consciously.

"Oh… is that so?" Kodimaru stepped forward, with a dangerous and solid step that forced Kidomaru back. "I'm **SO** sorry for hurting your feelings. I mean, what have you ever done… except ruin my LIFE?"

Kodimaru then lashed out, his fist slugging his 6-armed little brother to the ground. The unjustified anger welled up in Kodimaru, and soon he was consciously above Kidomaru, lashing out again and again into the boy's stomach, stomping his ribs, bringing his heel down upon every arm.

"You fucking little monster! I still can't fathom why every day, I look out for you, think about YOUR safety and not just my own! Because it sure as Hell isn't love!"

The lashing continued for another few minutes, until Kodimaru stopped; not from being done, but the meager food was barely enough, so both boys were lean and think for their age, and they never had too much work on. He tired quickly.

"You're sleeping outside tonight," As Kodimaru headed back inside, he tossed an apple to his little brother, the sneer returning. "But I'm sure you have enough to cover yourself with, right?"

Kidomaru made no move, wincing and whimpering in pain. He'd be sore the next morning… again. It only made getting back into the village and stealing something so much harder…

For what was far, **far** from the first time, Kidomaru cursed himself, and wondered why he kept going…

((Page Break))

Just as the day before, Kidomaru had found himself on an even higher roof, again clutching both food and web to himself as he took a fleeting moment to rest. The little boy sighed, wondering if he'd ever figure out how or why the hell he made the gooey webbing…

But today as he again approached the cave he called home, preparing to call out to big brother, he suddenly froze stiff, the food and water falling from his hands. There was a man there, standing before the cave. In itself this was shocking, for no one had ever found where the two brothers lived. But Kidomaru was more terrified by the look in the man's eyes- it was the same look he gave to food before he stole, the look of absolute hunger. This was all the more reinforced when the strange man licked his lips… with an unnaturally long tongue.

"Quite impressive boy… I saw you in the market today. Quite the interesting ability you have… a shame you squander it here, in this meager place." Kidomaru still couldn't move, frozen in place by fear, a fear the stranger seemed to easily pick up on. "Oh, forgive my manners my dear boy. I am Orochimaru… and I have an offer for you."

"Please, please don't hurt me-"

"Hurt you?' The older man, Orochimaru, began to chuckle lightly, with the air of absolute amusement at what he had heard. "Oh, my dear boy. I want to help you, not hurt you. I said I had an offer after all…" Orochimaru stooped down, and laid a gentle hand on the little boy's head.

Kidomaru knew somehow there was something in the man's words. Something about that voice was hypnotizing, like a swaying snake… but he couldn't help himself. He could never remember a time when someone spoke to him like this kindly.

"I want to foster your ability, to see you grow. I want to help you, by unlocking your body's TRUE potential! And in return, I only ask you to serve me, to help see my ambitions done. I can offer you not just a place to live to, not just food and clothing… I can teach you, make you stronger. And I can show you others, who are 'different' like you. You'll never be alone again in this world… so, what do you say my little Kidoma-"

"Yes…" The words flew from his mouth before he even realized, but not for even a second did Kidomaru think of taking them back. Never, never had he even dreamed of something like this being offered to him. He gripped the older man's leg in a hug with all six arms, almost overflowing with joy. Orochimaru had dangled these things before his eyes and he'd grab them-damn whatever came! "Yes! Please Lord Orochimaru, I-"

"Haha, slow down now boy, slow down… there is one thing you must do for me. Nothing too hard, no stealing or hurting or killing or anything… in fact, you won't have to leave the cave. I only need you to make a choice… if you choose a certain way, you'll have everything I offered you. Choose the other way, and I'll give you a good amount of money and food, some fresh clothes, and you may go where you please."

"B-But I said yes! I don't understand what-" Orochimaru suddenly took his hand from Kidomaru's head. Kidomaru flinched for a second, fearing a beating, or anger, or even the man going back on such an incredible offer. But Orochimaru only smiled and turned to head back into the cave. Kidomaru stared, before meekly following. "L-Lord Orochimaru?" The man turned back, a soft smile grazing his terrifying face.

"Please, indulge me Kidomaru… I want to know where your heart lies. But first, I have something to show you." Kidomaru followed, but only had taken a few steps into the first part of the cave when he froze. There was a carving of stone in the center of the room; one that had not been there in the morning. It was a raised stone slab, and above it, protruding from the ceiling, another slab of the same size and shape hung directly over it. The upper slab, however, had at its bottom not a flat bed like the top of the lower slab, but what looked like carvings of hooked and barbed gears…

"Impressive, isn't it? I created this with an Earth style jutsu, but the real thing is so much more exquisite." Orochimaru strode past the stunned little boy, running a hand over the carvings like the caressing a lover. "I always admire what the human body can endure, even though it is limited. It's why I always strive towards achieving human potential and then improving upon it. I thought this up one day as a way to test the limits of pain a human being can endure. The actual device is quite complex- those wheels spin quite rapidly at full speed, or very slowly at minimum settings, and can easily tear into any flesh they come into contact with. The upper slab lowers down, cutting into not even a millimeter of flesh... but each time it raises, a pin inside falls out, so that next time it goes even a tiny bit further… it can take so long before someone actually perishes on this beauty…"

Kidomaru could feel the sweat of terror running down his back. What kind of crazy person was this guy? Were all adults like this? He began to panic, thinking of just taking the smaller offer Orochimaru had made and running as fast as he could-

"Would you like to see the real thing?" The question shocked Kidomaru from his stupor- but before he could even begin to mentally conceive an answer, he suddenly heard a small scream, coming from much further within the cave. As it died, Orochimaru walked off in its direction. Kidomaru followed- whatever that was, an adult as crazy as Orochimaru walking towards it was either really brave, or really stupid. Kidomaru hoped it was the former.

It was only maybe 20 seconds of walking to the larger chamber, where he knew Kodimaru usually slept the day away. Kidomaru saw the usual pile of apple cores, used water skins, bones… and then he felt his stomach clutch as he saw a new sight in the center of the room, which made him vomit up what little food he had within him.

It was the same device Orochimaru had just shown him; like he had said, it was comprised of metal, dull gray steel emerging both from the cave's floor and hooked into the low ceiling. The top slab indeed had every hook and barb and tiny blade on gears, which slowly but surely spun around… but these true sharp edges, all shining like what seemed to be diamond, were covered with blood. Even after all the time from the scream, the upper slab was still rolling up slowly, not finished with its ascent. The source of the blood lay below.

It was Kodimaru.

The boy lay there, strapped so tightly to the lower slab he couldn't even move, could barely turn his head. The entirety of the front of his clothes had been torn away. And the upper most layer of skin was macerated, leaving the muscle visible, from toe to neck. His fingernails had been roughly ground down. Blood poured over the slab in a slow, deliberate manner.

It seemed the portion from the chin to the scalp had the gears raised a bit higher, for the face was still there… the nose had been ground down to nothing, and the cheek skin was torn to bloody rags like on the body… but the face was still there, and it heaved with pained breaths, tears streaming from the eyes. For it to have down so much, while moving so slowly… Kodimaru had apparently been there for some time.

"I saw you yesterday as well, a chance happening of fortune. I came here after you left early this morning, planning to ask of your brother about you. He recognized I was no ordinary person, and tried to pass himself off as more important… I could see, from the very first moment, he wanted to use me, to improve his own life. But Orochimaru is not used Kidomaru, something you should always remember. Yes… I am **never** used." Kidomaru gulped in horror. Despite his short stature, the lower slab was low enough that he could see his older brother in his entirety of suffering-

"B-Brother…" Kidomaru stumbled back in fright. The lack of a nose had made the voice come out differently, and the lack of skin on the front of the body made his brother seem like a talking corpse… "P-please… save me. He… he said that if you ch-choose, choose to free me… j-just take my hand, and h-he'll let me go… t-take us somewhere where I can d-die with no more p-p-pain-" Kodimaru broke off his tormented, struggling stuttering as he moaned in agony. Above them, the upper slab was nearing the top of its ascent, where another miniscule pin would fall out…

"It is true. I have promised him this one boon- a quick death. It is your choice Kidomaru, the choice I spoke of…" Orochimaru stepped away from the little boy, walking towards the head of the machine. "As I said, I would know your heart in this manner."

"Please… b-brother…" Kidomaru turned back to Kodimaru, wracked with conflict over such a choice. He had no clue which choice would bring him the greater happiness that he wanted. Normally it would seem obvious to save his brother, but nothing seemed normal with this man!

And then…

"Wh-why… why are you not s-saying anything? Y-you can't leave me here… not after everything I d-d-did for you…" His hand twitched, the appendage flayed of skin as it twitched towards the hand that could free him from this torment.

Kidomaru stood stock still. It was as if time itself stood at a frozen moment for him. The gory scene before him disappeared for a few moments, replaced by every memory he could imagine of his brother….

Finally, time seemed to begin to speed up. Kidomaru slowly raised his head, noticing the upper slab was almost at the top. He looked back down at his brother's mutilated body, that gory hand twitching for release. And slowly, ever so slowly…

Kidomaru turned, and began walking away.

"No… NO! NOOOO! You little bastard! You monster! You killed M-Mother, and now you're going to leave m-me here to die!' Kodimaru's eyes bugged in horror, filled with the fear of a coward who was too scared to die with any sense of shame. "Y-you six-armed freak! I should have left you to die when you d-drove father away-"

"Now now… such words to say to an eight year old boy…" Orochimaru grinned and then reached up to the top of the upper slab, hitting a switch as it hit its ascent. Kodimaru sighed in relief. Maybe, maybe he could die now…

"As I told Kidomaru, this device has many slow settings... let me show you the fastest." Another switch flicked, and suddenly the terrible gears started spinning again, but now they moved so quickly it seemed a blur. "They now can do much more damage, and cause more pain… and the slab moves faster as well… if it's any consolation, I suppose you'll die slightly quicker-"

"NOOOOO!" Kodimaru screamed ever louder, as if to try and drown out the loud whirl of the gears as the slab started descending quickly. Orochimaru turned and began a slow walk out, leaving the boy to lie there under the diamond edges. He soon found Kidomaru at the cave entrance, letting the sun and wind gently brush against him, as if really feeling and enjoying them for the first time. The boy was looking away from the cave, but he seemed so calm, even as the now loud screams echoed behind them. The Sanin grinned; any moment now, it would come down again, maybe grazing the boy's lips…

"NOOO! I HATE YOU! NOOO! NOOOOO! NOOO! NOOOOOOOO-" They suddenly cut off, bringing a smile to the Sanin's face. He move in front of Kidomaru and looked down at the boy's face… impassive, but now it was forming a small, innocent smile. Orochimaru grinned widely, laying a caring, tender hand onto the eight year old boy's head.

"Excellent, Kidomaru. I know your heart now… and you… are mine…"

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru. I am yours."

**((Page Break))**

**Horror, Thy Name is Music**

Ugly.

Ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly.

It was a word she had heard a lot. Not every nine-year old was called that a lot, but some were and she was one of them.

The fact that it was her own mother that said it made things so much worse.

"Wake up! Tayuya, you ugly little slut, wake up!" The small, too skinny red-head gasped in pain as a foot encased in a high heel embedded itself in her stomach, adding to what were after all these years a collection of bruises. All small, but they came often enough that whenever some of them finally faded, more were freshly forming. She stared up, whimpering softly, into the eyes of an older woman. She had the same red hair, but combed nicely, unlike Tayuya's dirty, matted hair. The long legs attached to that heel led up to a slender, curvaceous, buxom form. The face above all of that was pretty, but caked in makeup and possessing no warmth, at least not for the child at her feet. "Ungrateful little bitch, sleeping in again? I hope you aren't getting lazy as well as ugly. If you still want me to share any of the food that **I** go out to earn all day, you'll get up soon and get your ugly little ass out the door. You'd better bring home something worth my time today!"

Tayuya nodded faintly, slowly rising to make her way to the door- before her mother shoved her to the side, apparently in a hurry to leave. Tayuya frowned as she watched her mother leave in a dress that left little to the imagination. No one could look at her mother without guessing her occupation, and the stares she got, all of honest sympathy, still cut her to the core. It would have been alright if her mother was a courtesan, an escort, or even simply a stripper… but not.

Her mother was a whore. A slut, a skank, a streetwalker… a whore. She was a whore's daughter. A whore. Her mother was a whore, and it cut into her every day.

Tayuya waited until her mother turned a corner down the street, before going through a ritual that repeated itself daily- she slowly went back into the house, took a seat at the table in their tiny apartment kitchen, and wondered as always why she hadn't killed the bitch.

Tayuya had matured fast for her age- not too surprising, since she had a mother that treated a girl her age like a ward of the state and cussed enough to make sailors blush. She grew up understanding money, sex, and hardship faster than most children learned their abc's. To her credit, she was also a bit bright, but it came from self-teaching, listening closely to other adults and finding what used, or hand-me-down books she could. Her mother flat out refused to 'waste money' on sending her to school, and definitely wasn't making an effort to teach her.

And during all of this watching and self-teaching, Tayuya had seen other children and their parents, had come to understand death a lot sooner than most did, and came to understand that her life was truly a shitty one- she wasn't actually sure if her mother had ever really loved her, but she knew the place she was living in wasn't a home… but it was a structure, a place to stay, and she'd lose that if she left. Her mother DID make a lot of the income between the two of them (she HATED thinking about the obvious how) and she knew she couldn't survive if she left… so here she was, barely living days in and out with her mother, if living was what she could fucking call it.

On darker days, her thoughts turned to a lack of father, and her own birth… those were very dark days.

"Damn cunt…" Tayuya took a deep breath, trying to hold in the tears that wanted to spill. She knew it would probably be better to cry, she'd feel better later- but if she did even once, she'd knew she'd never be able to handle her mother ever again, she'd be kicked out, and soon would starve and die. No way would she go to an orphanage, now or then, and simply be the "whore's castoff daughter"… the castoff part alone would be just too much, even for her.

She finally stood from the chair, noticing it was noon. The market would be busy at this time, and that meant business would be best. Locking the door as she left, Tayuya wandered the streets, trying in vain to enjoy the sunny, cloudless day. She eventually emerged from a back alley into the town's market. People everywhere bartering, chatting, screaming, yelling, and laughing in a hundred more positive emotions than what she usually experienced. The little red-head finally plunked herself down gently against a public fountain in the middle of the market, and removed a small bag from her pocket. Setting it in her lap, she tied the straps to her wrist, leaned her head back against the fountain-

And began to whistle.

Tayuya had never studied music, or known anyone who did. She had simply seen some birds whistling one day when she was only seven years old, and thought it was a pretty sound… this was also around the time her mother had started using the word 'ugly' to her face. To console herself, Tayuya tried to make the same sound… it took her a month to even make the most basic whistle sound, and months more to produce a longer tune.

But when she finally did… she had been walking with her mother that day to the market, and had seen more birds whistling along the roofs, and suddenly started to mimic them, even before she herself realized it. He mother, already in a foul mood, had turned to slap the tune from her mouth… when an old man who had been nearby spoke up, complimenting Tayuya on sounding so pretty. Tayuya found she couldn't help but blush lightly, unused to something as kind as that. It might have ended there, and her mother simply would have beaten her for it when they got home. She could have done it in secret, made it her own little escape-

And then, the old man- damn his soul- had given her a small coin, calling it payment for getting to hear such pretty music. Even as she took the coin, she could FEEL her mother's eyes lighting up behind her.

She had agreed in the end, of course. Her mother could be… persuasive. Tayuya hated it though. She just wanted to whistle for herself, because it was pretty- because it made her feel pretty. She knew her mother calling her ugly over and over didn't make her ugly… but she was 7 then, tough but not as tough as she was now, and hearing it so much got to her so easily, that sometimes she would wonder.

And now years later, every day, Tayuya came to the market. Every day, she had to whistle, not for her own pleasure but so hopefully she'd make a small amount of money to bring home. She'd become good by now, _very good_- already a few people nearby had stopped to listen, seemingly entranced by her tune. One or two seemed to stare at her for a moment, before their eyes widened and then took on a look of sadness and pity as they began rooting around for a coin to put in the hat.

That was the worst part of it for her. She knew that most everyone knew about her life, her whore of a mother, and that for a child to be living like that was **wrong**- but no one ever seemed to help at all, never said anything to her mother, never just took her away- she'd resent it after all this time, but it would be better than this. Tossing money in a hat and feeling pity for the 'poor, poor daughter of that dreadful woman'… Hypocritical motherfuckers! It was a slap in the face from reality, reminding her that no one seemed to care, not enough to take her away from the sad thing she called a life. They tossed a coin in, and somehow absolved themselves of any guilt while letting her music cheer them.

Bastards… she hated them all.

But she couldn't say that, couldn't say any of what she thought about them, or things would change… she may not make money anymore. Or her mother would learn about it, and it wouldn't just be those heels digging into her. So Tayuya kept up the tune, one that others would swear was almost hypnotic. She kept whistling, kept bringing on coins and pitied looks and the private Hell that was her one and only talent, her one and only joy…

((Page Break))

"Half… you only bring in half of what you usually do… and you expect me to not be fucking pissed?" Tayuya's mother slapped the child hard across the face, the backhand sending the young, underfed girl into the kitchen wall. She walked over, and started stomping into the girl's stomach with a heel. "You ungrateful slut! You ugly little tramp! After everything I do for you, to keep us off the streets, this is how you repay me?" She raised her hand, curling it into a fist to bring down upon the girl-

But another hand, pale yet strong, clenched her wrist. The older woman gasped- she hadn't heard the door open, heard his steps, heard nothing. She gasped heavily, feeling a sudden pressure on her mind and body, feeling so cold and afraid. She turned slowly, meeting a pale face with dangerous yellow eyes. "Now now, we can't have that…" As if by accident, without any real effort at all, he flung the woman into the opposite wall, ignoring her cry of pain as she slid to the ground. Her ankle was already swelling, obviously broken. He instead knelt down before the real reason he was there… the whimpering little girl, legs tucked into her chest and silently weeping, praying he wouldn't kill her.

"Come come my little one, why are you crying? Someone who makes such a beautiful sound shouldn't cry…" She finally stopped at that, now only at a whimper. She looked up, blinking hesitantly at the older, smiling man. Something about the way he said beautiful… it lifted her spirit for the first time in so long. "I heard you today in the market… you make such a pretty sound…" _And even without channeling chakra, she was able to very partially hypnotize people into giving her money. It wasn't just their pity, but a pull by her sound. If I can teach her to harness it, infuse chakra into it, possibly enhance it with an instrument of some sort…_ "How would you like to come with me? I can teach you to make it even prettier... and more importantly, I can give you a home. A real one. What do you say?"

She felt lightheaded, wobbly as if the room was spinning. She knew nothing about this man, and every instinct born from her unusual, harsh life screamed at her to say no, even after seeing what he did to her mother-

But he had made it sound so enticing, and somehow so very, very real. A place she could feel safe. A place where her gift could be for her… was it really so close? "… What do I have to do for it? I'm not some stupid shithead, even if I am just a kid. There's always a catch."

"Indeed, you aren't stupid. You're more clever than even I, Orochimaru, gave you credit for." He smirked at the pleased blush that got out of her. Children were always so easy to manipulate, "I want you to become strong, to take your gift to areas you never dreamed of before… and use those talents to help me reach my ambition… do that, and you'll rise to heights you could only once dream of… don't say yes or no. I only need you to show me your answer…" He grinned, reaching into the fold of his robe, and withdrew a kunai that glinted dangerously in the lights of the house. She scooted back against the wall, terrified- she had KNOWN not to trust him, she was going to die for letting him play with her dreams, for playing her like the gullible fuck she was!- but then he gently placed it at the ground before her feet, stepping back. "Let your heart guide you child…"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Stab him!" Tayuya's head jerked up. Her mother had been so quiet, even with her whimpers of pain as she clutched her ankle, that Tayuya had forgotten her. But now she looked across the room at the older woman, her ribs still sore and face still red and stinging from earlier. Her mother had shed some silent tears, making her mascara run in an unattractive manner. She was glaring daggers at Tayuya. "You brain-dead little bitch! He hurt me, so stop stalling and kill the dumbass, cut him to pieces or something! Do something right for once, you idiotic cunt!"

Tayuya quivered, new urges fighting some last shred of connection to the woman on the ground across from her. It was her mother, the person who had brought her into this world… and yet what kind of world did she have- what kind of mother did she really have? Tayuya's eyes watered, her mind a torrent of agony from the actual decision she was contemplating making-

"I said move it, you ugly li-"

That had done it. Before even she knew what was happening, Tayuya had gripped the kunai and was running across the kitchen. Her ribs burned in agony as she crossed it in a matter of seconds. Her eyes were wide and wrathful, tears flying from them across the floor, a pained and furious grimace on her face as she brought the small blade down into her mother's shoulder. The older woman screamed in pain, weakly clawing upwards, but the injury and pain from before and now had drained her of strength. More importantly, hew own ungrateful, ugly little daughter attacking her had struck her dumb. She then screamed in terrible agony… as Tayuya started bringing the kunai down in slashes across her face.

"Who's ugly now? Who's FUCKING ugly now you stupid cunt? You ugly, trampy bitch! You evil, brain-dead monstrous witch! Who's ugly now slut? Who's ugly now? WHO'S UGLY? WHO'S UGLY? WHO'S UGLY? WHO'S UGLY? WHO'S UGLY WHO'S UGLY WHO'SUGLYWHO'SUGLYWHO'SUGLYWHO'SUGLYWHO-"

For several minutes it continued like that. Her mother's screams of pain had long fell silent as Tayuya kept slashing and hacking as her face, tears running down her face as blood slowly covered more and more of her. And Orochimaru only watched, absolutely delighted at the spectacle…

Finally Tayuya stopped, slowly backing away from the corpse. Her mother's face was long gone, the kunai having torn the skin to shreds. Muscle was flaid back in a grotesque display, the nose hacked into bits, the lips peeled back and shredded. Cheeks torn into unrecognizable chunks of flesh. The eyes had been gouged, ruined orbs meant to see no more. It wasn't even a face anymore, just a monstrous macabre of horror to make most stomachs retch…

Tayuya just felt oddly satisfied.

"Well, it seems you've chosen… and wisely too." Orochimaru laid a hand on her shoulder, pulling her to his side in a sheltering manner. "Let's leave this place now, and go to your new home. Your real home."

She smiled brightly, her heart lifted to a place she didn't think possible. They left the house, walking slowly down the road and soon out of the town itself. She was so overjoyed, she didn't even look back, didn't even flinch for an instant when the exploding tags he'd left behind in the house burst into a large fireball, consuming the structure and the corpse within.

It was as they had reached and entered the woods, the cries of people far behind them rushing to the fire growing dimmer, that he turned to her during the walk, finally saying something. His voice still that soothing tone that promised so many better things to come.

"Tayuya my dear… I do have one other request. If you'd be so kind as to humor an old man." She looked up a bit fearfully, worried he would ask some terrible thing of her… and they were alone now, with no help should she refuse-

"I told you before, I saw you in the market. Heard you too. I could see how you hated whistling for them, those terrible people. Such hypocrites, making you sing for them without ever really thanking you as they should have. I know your gift, your music, is something that you want for yourself alone. There's nothing wrong with that dear, but…" He smiled widely, and suddenly to her he seemed so big-hearted, so caring about HER-

"Please, will you make that pretty sound again for me?" For a moment she did nothing… but then she nodded softly, her mouth widening into a happy, enormous smile as tears of joy ran down her cheeks. It wasn't because she had to now… it was because someone had asked her to. Wanted her to because it was beautiful, it was pretty…

Maybe, just maybe, because she was pretty too?

Her self-esteem was born anew, her heart soaring on wings of music.

She began whistling, the sound now filled with more joyous harmonies than it had ever given off. The soft, high-pitched sound issuing forth from Tayuya held a joy in it, a sound to make the hearts of harder men weep piteously…

Orochimaru heard none of it. He only heard the same quality as he did in the market, the same glorious and heavenly sound.

The sound of human potential…

And it was _**MUSIC**_ to his ears.

**((Page Break))**

**All-consuming Terror**

The sun shone quite gloriously that day, betraying any signs of mis-happenings or foul deeds. Indeed, the air smelled especially fresh and sweet, the wind soft as a whisper as it rolled alone the dark red, wooden walls of the Kaguido Monastery. Indeed, the outside seemed picture perfect, the monks of the temple strolling along in contemplation, gardening, or even practicing meditation in any one of several varieties, combative or peaceful. And the inside of the temple was just as peaceful- save one out-of-the-ordinary incident.

Gaizan hurried between the wide, towering stone walls, the many torches of the corridor illuminating it almost as if sunlight were shining onto the dull gray stones. Normally the cavernous passage, so much larger than most within the structure of the old temple, always gave him pause. It made him and the other members of his order reflect on how their lives as humans could seem so full, so grand and important, everything did so much more complex and wondrous than all other forms of life- yet in an instant they could seem so small, so insignificant in the grand order of existence. It was a humbling experience, made to give birth to deep and sometimes divine reflection. Such was the reason they even named the long tunnel 'Heaven's Throat'.

Today, it only made Gaizan feel like the passage would never end. He hurried faster, prevented only from a dead sprint by the long, simple dark green monk's robe reaching down to his sandaled feet. Others of the order paused, watching his rapid pace in curiosity. Even when traveler's from the outside came to join the temple and completely missed the meaning f the passage, they never moved beyond a walk. To see a long term member hurrying along in such a manner could only mean something of importance… hopefully nothing grave.

Although, they were all not a little chilled at the sight of a smiling, tall, pasty-skinned man, somehow easily keeping pace behind him. A newcomer who seemed to note not a thing about the massive temple hallway, and whose constant smile was quite eerie.

Gaizan finally reached the end of the tunnel, and after a few more turns and always came to a beautifully carved door, still simple in its design but more ornate compared to most of the temple itself. It was here that the head monk of the Kaguido temple resided, whether in his own private meditation or in going over the affairs of the structure and its inhabitants. He was reviewing the recent purchase of medicine and foodstuffs for the temple when Gaizan burst in unannounced, panting and doubled over as he finally came to a stop. The venerable, sixty-something Master Nadik paused looking over a man he normally associated with the picture of calm and reserve, now flustered and looking as if he'd run the length of Fire Country.

"Gaizan, what has come over you? You look like the Shinigami itself was chasing you."

"F-Forgive me… (pant)… Master Nadik, but this man- please, please come in sir!" Nadik watched the stranger he'd seen in shadow behind Gaizan enter, and almost immediately felt anxious. The quiet, pale stranger made him feel on edge, like a mouse being eyed by a predator. His eyes were calculating somehow, and yet his appearance was quite friendly, bearing a wide smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes… at least not in a way that Nadik enjoyed. And his face seemed to tickle the back of his brain for some reason, like a memory that was just barely awake. He was so focused on the stranger that he almost missed what Gaizan said next.

"He claims he can help the **boy**…"

That caused Nadik's head to turn, his eyes wide as he stared at Gaizan in astonishment. The members of their temple's order where all older men, the youngest being only 23. And even if there had been young boys in the temple… there was only one child that could have been referred to in such a manner.

"Who… who are you sir? If you think you can help, then you have to have been told what the problem is, which means you know what the boy's condition is-"

"Yes, I do know, and believe I can help. And as for my name… well, forgive me for a little narcissism; a part of me greatly hopes you know the name Orochimaru..." Nadik's brow furrowed for about half a second- and then they stretched wide as saucers, staring up at the taller man in shock… and then moved around the desk to shake his hand vigorously.

"Forgive me Orochimaru-san! Yes, now I know why you seemed familiar. I have heard many things about you, and your team. One of the Sannin does a us great service, visiting our humble place of worship. Forgive me for not recognizing you when you first entered. Most of our recruits are the local farming folk. It is quite rare we get visitors or new members with knowledge of the ninja world or its doings. In fact, the last time I heard anything about shinobi, you Sannin had only recently helped in ending the Third Ninja War! Forgive me for sounding like an old gossip, but I am quite curious. How are things between the five nations? And your Hokage Sarutobi, is he well? Though by now, he must be past the age of retirement, as am I!" The monk laughed hard, missing the tiniest twitch in the Sannin's eye at the mention of the Hokage.

"Oh yes, he is fine… A fourth Hokage was chosen, a student of my teammate Jiraiya. Sadly, he gave his life, incredibly defeating the terrible Kyuubi no Kitsune and saving the Leaf Village… with his death, my old sensei was forced to take up the mantle of Hokage again, until a new successor presents itself."

"Incredible… whoever this man was, he must have been an amazing Hokage. Still, I think all of my monks will breathe a bit easier without that terrible demon loose… come. Please follow me. Gaizan, go ahead to **his** room and tell the guards that I'm giving Orochimaru of the Sannin my permission to go." As the younger man hurried off, Nadik and Orochimaru started in the same direction from the office at a slower pace. "Forgive me for asking Orochimaru-san, but I must confess to finding it a little odd, you here without your teammates. Is everything ok?"

"Yes, of course. I am merely taking a… _sabbatical_ for my own state of mind, a well-deserved vacation. Not to mention I am always interested in the things I can learn when travelling the nations, the interesting jutsu I can see… or odd cases, like your 'special child'. I felt quite lucky when by chance I met Gaizan while he was purchasing medicine for the temple, specifically those dealing with the effects of chakra exhaustion on muscles. Once I told him who I was, he was quite happy to lead me back here... and of course, my condolences to you. To lose someone in the manner you did…." Master Nadik was silent for some minutes moving alone the long halls of the temple before he finally spoke, his voice carrying more than hints of pain at the recollection of the past few weeks.

"He… the boy, Jirobo- his name is all we've been able to get from him really- was left on our doorstep two weeks ago. We couldn't understand it. We've been left babies or little toddlers before of course, and we always find good homes or orphanages for them. But an underfed, 7 year old boy in those dirty rags… I was just glad he was still breathing really. The odd feature was a pair of extremely thick gloves he had, maybe 5 times thicker than any I've ever seen. Well, he woke up after we took him in, and was the most quite, withdrawn seven year old child I've ever seen. Boys his age should be lively, we should have had to quiet him… instead, getting him to talk was a challenge. And when we tried to clean him up, he refused to let us remove the gloves. You should have seen his face; he looked absolutely frightened at the very prospect."

"Indeed? But much of this I knew already from Gazian-san. You've been feeding the boy and nursing him back to health slowly from what I hear, and the boy has quite the appetite. But the event… it happened a few days ago, correct?" The Snake Sannin watched as Master Nadik's brow furrowed, his eyes darkened with the memories of what he was about to relate.

"Yes. I sent one of our novices to check on the boy. Even after he started eating voraciously and testing, he still had a light fever, which by now has passed. The novice entered, changed the boy's sheets and his damp cloth while he slept, that's all he was **supposed** to do… the poor man must have thought he could help the boy's fever if he removed the heavy gloves. We believe the screaming was immediate. By the time we entered the room, the novice was already dead. His body… I was a medic before I entered the temple, Orochimaru-san. I wasn't a shinobi, but I've treated many conditions to the best of my ability, even chakra exhaustion. I've seen so many injuries and fatalities… but this man had been sucked dry of what little chakra we civilians have. It was almost like even his life force had been drained. His body was shrunken, dried out… his face etched in a horrified stare. Jirobo was just weeping in the corner near him, clutching his gloves for dear life; he was bawling his eyes out and has refused to let anyone near him since. And as much as it pained me to do so, I set guards on his door and have disallowed anyone to enter." Finally, as he finished his explanation, the pair approached a large, sturdy wooden door, guarded on both sides by monks with staffs in their hands. Nadik waved them to the side, and then took from his belt a large brass key. He stuffed it into the lock, but then paused, looking back up at Orochimaru. "I know your chakra levels are massive, especially compared to the people here, and that boy wouldn't be much of a threat. Our novice was dead before he could get away from the boy's hands. Still, are you sure you want to go in their? It was undoubtedly just an accident, but it could be even more chakra will make him drain you faster. And to risk your own being so easily-"

"Please Master Nadik, I will be all right. After surviving a shinobi war, I think I can handle a small child. In any case, my time not invested in combat deals with research, learning about ninjutsu and human potential… this boy could hold keys to new jutsu, or cures for some condition. I would be heartless not to help him." Nadik smiled, letting go of all doubt that the man's initial appearance had brought to his mind. Truly such a benevolent, kind shinobi was rare in the world that Nadik had first left for a monk's life. He unlocked the door and let the Sannin in, locking the door behind him… and missing the wide, snake-like smile etched on his face. He turned, applying a quick silence jutsu for privacy before turning around.

Orochimaru immediately took in how Spartan the dark, stale room was even by monk standards, nothing but a flimsy bed set in one corner, with a small barred window high above his head on the far wall- and curled up under it was a young boy, orange hair flopping over his face as he sat against the wall, curled into a fetal position and clutching the thick gloves to his chest. There were faint wet spots on the floor at his feet, evidence of a recent bout of sobbing. The boy was probably still in shock over what he had done.

"Are you little Jirobo?" The boy's head snapped up like a whip, wide golden-brown eyes staring back in a mixture of surprise and fear, mostly the latter. The Sannin moved a step or two closer, a hand reaching out gently. "It's alright, I'm not going to hu-"

"_Get away!_" Orochimaru paused at that. The boy's voice broke as he screamed, full of fear and rage. His body convulsed more as he started sobbing anew. "They told you about me, didn't they? Don't you get it? You'll die if you touch me, so just go away! Just… just go away…"

"I've survived a shinobi war my little friend, I think I can survive you. Now, I'm sure you must feel scared. Scared of what you did to that man, and whomever you accidently hurt before you were left here-"

"No." Jirobo started to shake, but Orochimaru could tell it wasn't out of fear- no, he'd seen too many of his test subjects shake that way to be mistaken. The boy sounded… excited. "I… I can't control it. I touch people, and I take their chakra, or whatever Master Nadik called it. All of it. And I just want more. It's like I'm so hungry for it, not that I'd die without it, but like I'm reeeally hungry. And when I take it in, I can taste it…"

"And I want it. I want more. I killed someone by accident in my old village. I… I got scared, he was yelling at me for stealing some bread, but I hadn't stolen it, I swear! Just because I was an orphan, just because I was there, he thought it was me. And then he grabbed my hand, and I got scared and screamed… and it just started. I was too scared to let go, until it was too late. I felt so full somehow, and I wanted more… I wanted it so badly. I got scared of myself, so I stole those gloves and ran and ran and ran… and now when that monk took the gloves off, he touched me. It started, and suddenly I grabbed him! It wasn't an accident this time- I just held onto him, I could feel myself smiling as I did it. I didn't feel scared of what I did until after he was dead, sucked dry… I wanna touch someone and not hurt them, I want to not be such a freak and love it! Just make it stop, please make it stop!" And with that the boy broke down into sobbing again, tears staining his ragged shirt as the weight of his actions piled onto his shoulders once more.

The Sannin stood for some time, looking Jirobo over, before finally leaning down and taking the boy's hand tightly. Jirobo stiffened, then screamed up at the tall, pale man, begging him to let go. He could already feel the older man's chakra being sucked out… and yet he didn't move. For some minutes in fact, the man just stood there with Jirobo's hand in his, a pale purple glow emanating from the drain of chakra, while the boy looked on. He was partly mystified at how the older man was still standing, unaffected, and partly with a hungry smile. His eyes suddenly turned towards the door, wondering why Nadik or the others hadn't rushed in-

"A special ninja jutsu, designed to block them from hearing us." Jirobo turned back to the older man, still amazed that he looked perfectly fine, and not like a dried-out husk like the others. "I have far more chakra then those poor souls did my dear boy. An hour of this couldn't drain me dry. Now, about your gift-"

"Gift? I killed those men! They're dead! I'm only seven sir, but I know I killed them! It's a curse, what I can do, and you call it a gift?"

"Indeed. You aren't some freak my dear boy… you're special." Orochimaru grinned as the boy's eyes widened. Children were so easy to manipulate. Really, it was far too simple to show them sympathy, empathy. To make them feel so accepted… and to turn them against others. "I see what you can do, and I see potential. Human potential, which if controlled could open so many doors to you. Those men out there… these monks want to stifle you. Want to keep you from being special. And if they can't fix you…" He didn't finish, but the Sannin could tell the seed of the idea was implanted in the boy's mind, the wheels turning as he let the boy finish that magic 'if'. "I only want to see you grow. Come with me… come with me, and I'll help you control this gift, to realize your potential. Serve me, Orochimaru, and I'll make sure you're never alone, never hungry… that you can touch other people, and receive their touch in return."

Orochimaru removed his hand, the purple glow dying off as he stepped back from the child. It had been like throwing shuriken at fish in a barrel… not to mention the gift of his potent chakra. No doubt that amount had only enhanced the child's uncontrolled hunger, made him want more… yes. He could see it in the boy's eyes. Between his promises and the chakra, he'd won.

Jirobo slowly rose to his feet, staring almost hungrily at the taller man. Orochimaru could do it, he could take the pain away, and make it so he could use this curse- _gift_ as he wanted, and satisfy his hunger…

"I only ask one thing of you my dear boy… use your gift on these monks. ALL of them. Satisfy your hunger here, and I will consider it an offering of your loyalty."

There was no need to debate. No need for arguments or thoughts of ethics or morality, even if the boy had words to describe those things. Jirobo felt only his incredible hunger, and a childish, soul-consuming desire to be accepted… Orochimaru would accept him. In an instant, he cast aside any and all feelings for the monks, despite all they had done. They couldn't help him as Orochimaru-san would, couldn't foster his potential or make him feel special… no, they wouldn't. And they couldn't fix him. His gift was part of who he was… the only way to 'fix' him was to kill him. Jirobo wouldn't let them, he'd kill them first!

Orochimaru smiled with utter delight at the look in the boy's eyes. He had turned yet another child, and with great success. The Sannin then spun, roundhouse kicking the door into splinters. The impact blew the two armed monks into the wall, their necks breaking upon impact. As their corpses slid to the floor, Master Nadik started to crawl backwards on the floor where he'd landed, his right ankle completely broken and his head spinning. The boy couldn't do something like this, only the ninja in the room with him. He then watched Orochimaru calmly exit the room, gently gripping Jirobo's shoulder. The Sannin wasn't trying to escape with the boy… he was letting him out! He didn't understand, the Sannin was supposed to help, how could one of the Hokage's pupils do something like this-?

Jirobo suddenly pounced on the wounded monk, both hands gripping his face tightly. The older man screamed as his chakra began to drain, while Orochimaru watched on in delight. Apparently, either giving so much of his chakra or the change in the young boy's attitude had done something to his abilities. From the stories he'd heard before, killing the novice monk had taken a minute or so, even with his tiny amount of chakra…

Conversely, Master Nadik was dead, a dried up husk of a corpse, within seconds.

Jirobo looked back up to Orochimaru, his eyes almost pleading with an unspoken question. But Orochimaru knew. He nodded softly, and the boy smiled hungrily before he took off down the hall. Orochimaru followed at a very slow walk, quickly losing sight of the boy in the torch-lit corridor. He let himself follow every turning corner with glee. He wanted to savor the moment of yet another triumph and all its details- like the sounds of screaming now emanating from far down the Heaven's Throat.

((Page Break))

As Orochimaru finally walked under the front arch of the temple, he could only smile widely at the results of his little trip. The temple was filled with husks of what were once lively, healthy monks. When the boy could properly control his abilities, even shinobi wouldn't stand forever against him. Already the boy was far ahead, running around in one of the many fields in front of the temple. His 'meals' all finished, and his appetite apparently sated, the boy was now running around with all of the reckless, life-loving abandon of a sever year old.

Smirking in amusement, the Sannin took one last look at the temple before he went to fetch the boy- and then he stopped, staring at the name of the temple which hung in large letters just above the entrance.

Kaguido.

Kaguido.

Kaguido…

When the late Gaizan had first led him into the temple, Orochimaru had paused as well, even if only for a second. Something about the name had tickled the back of his mind, and again it did so now. Something about the letters-

No. It was to ridiculous, to ironically amusing…

And then it came to him. So simple, so clear, that he could only laugh, a roar of amusement such as he hadn't felt in a long time. The Sannin seemed to choke for a second, before his deadly Kusanagi was spit out, soaring up in the grip of his stretching tongue. The blade cut each letter one by one from the arch, and they fell to the ground unbroken. Orochimaru swallowed the sword back in, and then laughed even harder- the letters had fallen perfectly, without even needing his rearranging of them. It was just as he'd thought.

Orochimaru turned, walking away to collect Jirobo, the new name for the temple lying behind him.

**Gakidou**.

"The 'Temple of the Hungry Devil' indeed…"

**((Page Break))**

**A Soul Man…Men?**

Orochimaru frowned, his face set into a look of the most intense concentration as he drew more seals along the ground. He didn't mind the light, the torches set along the wall of the isolated cave providing more than enough illumination. He didn't mind the ground he was kneeling on- it was perfectly smooth, as if a gift from on high to his experiment for keeping him from mis-drawing the seal. And the two figures in the center of the massive seal circle, one of whom had some of the seals drawn on him, had remained perfectly still.

No, what brought the frown on was that even for the genius of the Snake Sannin, this was incredibly risky. He had altered genetic configurations, dabbled into cloning, and was close to finishing the research for his special Cruse Mark. But this experiment was dabbling into the realm of the afterlife, of the actual physical soul. The soul had to be physical- he'd studied the sealing of Biju, which were basically souls bonded to massive amounts of chakra. But they were intrinsically different from a human soul. Either this could be potentially disastrous…

Or there would turn out to be a Shinigami, who wouldn't take lightly to a human denying him an almost dead soul, and it would go beyond disastrous. The Sannin prided himself on his objectivity, logic and scientific method, and seemed sure for multiple reasons that a Shinigami couldn't actually exist… but actual proof of a soul's existence made this quite the different situation, and all bets were off. Still, to close in on extending the duration of his soul would be worth the risk.

"Orochimaru-sama? Please, his breathing is getting worse…" He turned back, looking over the pale, bluish-gray haired, 7 year old boy on the floor, kneeling over an identical child. Finding two twins that were as perfect as these two had taken an entire year of searching, but it had been absolutely worth it. They had even been orphans, meaning taking the children away had only been that much easier. Unfortunately, one of them was physically weaker-most likely and original physical or chakra-related illness, for he had never seen anything like it. He had offered to try a 'radical new treatment', and the healthy twin had agreed in frenzy, desperate to save his sibling. Time was of the essence here, however, which made the Sannin exercise a lot of restraint from rushing the seals he had almost finished.

"It is almost finished my dear child… now do remember, I am trying this for the first time. I cannot guarantee this will save him Sakon-"

"I don't care! I don't want him to just die; I'll do anything to save my brother!" Sakon looked up at Orochimaru, glaring with all the teary-eyes emotional stubbornness of a seven-year old, before looking back down at Ukon and squeezing his hand tighter. The boy's breathing had become increasingly labored, weakening as time passed. It was obvious, even to Sakon, that the boy wouldn't last the night.

"Finished." The Snake Sannin stood, starting to press his hands together into a string of seals. He watched Sakon retreat from the intricate seal circle, standing just outside the edge to watch. He grinned, his hands flying even faster. If this worked, Ukon would in fact die- but the seals would force the physical soul back into his body. He'd then probably die again, considering the physical state of his body- but if it succeeded, it meant Orochimaru could devise a way to ensure if he was killed in battle, he could actually resurrect himself somehow. He had already increased his body's own healing factor greatly, which took away that problem…

Reaching the end of the string of seals, Orochimaru grinned a wide, snake-like smile, as the seals on the boy glowed a sickly purple color. Ukon suddenly began to thrash, his mouth open in silent screams of pain. Sakon cried out for him to stop, but it was too late- 30 seconds later, Ukon ceased to move… and ceased to breathe.

Orochimaru frowned, watching the seals continue to glow, and then his eyes grew in astonishment. Something started to rise from the boy's chest, a wisp of something inky black, and from his head a wisp of silver. This was it; he would look in triumph upon a human soul, and hopefully the success of his jutsu-

"UKON!" And before the Sannin could shout for him to stop, Sakon had leapt into the circle, throwing himself onto his twin's body in terror at the thought of losing the only family he had. The seals suddenly began to glow brighter, to the extent that Orochimaru had to cover his eyes, the glow filling the cave like the glare of a second sun being born. He heard two sets of voices screaming in unimaginable agony-

And suddenly, it was done. The light faded as quickly as it had appeared, the only illumination source once more being the torches upon the wall. Orochimaru blinked the spots away from his vision, looking back to the spot where the boys had been… and blinked in curiosity. Sakon lay unconscious on his side facing him- the side his bangs were on was a clear sign- but Ukon was nowhere to be seen. But he seemed unaffected... well, at least it hadn't been a suicide jutsu. He moved towards Sakon, preparing to eradicate all traces of the event.

And then he saw it: sticking out of the back of Sakon's body, right between the shoulder blades, was Ukon. Ukon's actual head. And there, under the clothing, pressing against it above the hips… was that a hand? He bent down, pressing hands to both their necks… and felt under his finger two entirely different pulses.

Orochimaru's curious frown split into a massive grin. This… this was something beyond what he had thought of attempting. True, this would require massive amounts of testing, but from an initial observation, the Sannin's jutsu- because of Sakon's interference-appeared to have actually forced Ukon's soul and body _into_ Sakon's. This was an entire new path to explore. If he could refine and enhance the affect, he could force his soul into the bodies of others… they would be his vessel, to leapfrog the ages until he could find the method of **true** immortality.

Orochimaru's smile widened further. As a bonus, the potential success of this experiment would ensure the boy's loyalty to him. Who knew what special human potential this had unlocked for them, with which they could serve his ambition?

Oh yes, these boys had afforded him so many opportunities…

((Page Break))

_**Preview:**_

_Shinigami: I've gotten so incredibly BORED brother… is there anything happening with our little experiment?_

_Kami: Oh yes brother. These particular humans are getting quite active, all their little activities causing quite a stir, that's only going to make the climax that more impressive…_

_Shinigami: Excellent. Then let us take a closer view._

_Next Time: As the Shuriken Spins. The drama of all their lives brings your story closer to its finale Naruto! _

((Page Break))

Wow. Kinda dark compared to some of my usual stuff, right? Sorry for the apparently rare Sakon/Ukon fans, but I just couldn't find anything special to play on like with the other three, and I really want to get back to this story.

I once said I will never abandon this story, no matter how long it takes to get the next chapter out. That has not changed. However, I have two or three other INSANE crossover ideas I want to get to, and now that I've gotten so good with this story and have settled in a general style, I can start my next stories right.

Please keep reviewing.

Ja ne!


	18. Update

Hey Guys! So, a virus recently forced me to reload my OS, wiping lots of files. Many were on a flash drive, but sadly 20 pages of the next chapter had to vanish. So, I'm starting it all over, but at least I know what I'm doing so far. Just making sure you all know I haven't abandoned you.


	19. Temporary Chapter 19

Hello my good viewers! Yes, it has been over a year since my last update. I would like to now apologize and tell you why it has been taking so long. Note- taking. Not took, as in it's ready (not yet), or took as in I quit writing. As I've said before, I never quit an unfinished story.

I now have a new laptop. Sometime after the virus wiped the first draft about half way through, an electrical surge about 5-6 months ago wiped out the WHOLE DAMN COMPUTER. I know it's been a long wait, but please bear with me- I want to finish this story too!

But there is another reason I have come back from the dead today. I know some of you have heard already, but for those that didn't, they are taking down stories with lemons and extreme violence, even if they were rated M, since there hasn't been an MA rating since 2002. I understand that it's been kind of illegal since 2002 (though I only learned it yesterday), and appreciate how kind the admins have been to let authors slide on that one. However, besides the stories written for smut, or as snuff stories, there are a LOT of now really long, very excellent stories that happen to have a little excessive violence, or one or two scenes of lemon, in an otherwise amazing work of fanfiction. It seems a real tragedy to permanently delete them. While I'm pretty sure my story can get clear from all of this craziness (we've had a few scenes named after fruit, but none got as far as lemons, and none of my violence has been that excessive), I'm hoping you'll help save a lot of good stories. Please take the time to email the support, and if you have stories, pass this along.

Greetings to the fine folks that moderate our site.

Myself, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, or if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be losing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Venom Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

Dusk666

Hisea Ori

The Dark Graven

BlackRevenant

Lord Orion Salazar Black

Sakusha Saelbu

Horocrux

socras01

Kumo no Makoto

Biskoff

Korraganitar the NightShadow

NightInk

Lazruth

ragnrock kyuubi

SpiritWriterXXX

Ace6151

FleeingReality

Harufu

Exiled crow

Slifer1988

Dee Laynter

Angeldoctor

Final Black Getsuga

ZamielRaizunto

Fenris187

blood enraged

arashiXnoXkami

Masane Amaha's King

Blueexorist

Nero Angelo Sparda

Sharkteeth

DAPC

Kyuubi16

bunji the wolf

EternalKnight219

Wolvenstrom

Donalgraeme

Kylekatarn77

If you could do what some other authors have done and post this petition as a temporary new chapter on some of your stories to help spread the word? It would help a lot, it's how I found out about this.


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